


A Skele-ton of Fun

by lollipopkitten93



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, All The Tropes, All that music, Angry Mutt, Angry female skele, Bonds, Camping, Chara & Asriel are saved, Chara Is Male fyi, College, Comfort, Crafttale, Dancing, Dates, Demon bois, Drama, Dreams, Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), F/M, Family Issues, Fighting, First lots of fluff, Flower gives me the heebies, Fluff, Forts, Fresh's true form, Frisk is non-binary, Frisk knows ASL, G is being sneaky, Giant forts, Halloween, I Really hate writing about Flowey, I keep forgetting to update these with the chapters, I'm Sorry, Indecision, It's kind of like a musical, Kissing, Mamaw is a badass, Mentions of Death, Metta being Metta, Mettaton had a crush on Paps lol, More boys on the way, Morgan Is Good Friend, Multi, Multiverse Shenanigans, Music, Mutt is precious baby, Not as much angst this time, Panic Attacks, Past Issues, Platonic Soulmates, Reader Has Description, Reader In Band, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader has toxic mom, Reader wants to be a zoologist, Reverse Harem, Romantic Soulmates, Sad readz, Sans is so scared, Sassy Reader, Sassy Readz, Sleepovers, Smoking, Snowball Fights, Songwriting, Texting, Two humans and a KID, Universe learning!, Zoo trip!, also protective, and tropes!, but not for a while, but they're here, demon bois are so cute fight me, fight me, frisk is mute, hah, hopefully, i really can't tag very well, i wanna hug him so bad, i'm really bad at this tagging thing, lazy skeleton costumes, lol she like hella mad, lots of fluff, maybe smut, mentions of abuse, mentions of torture, mini dates, okay, performing, pseudo heats, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2020-06-28 15:11:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 294,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19814893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lollipopkitten93/pseuds/lollipopkitten93
Summary: Monsters have been above ground for five years. You're in college in Ebott City, going against your mother's wishes to be a zoologist. But it seemed your monsterphobic roommate is kicking you out. Luckily, it looks like your buddy Sans has a solution.Move in with him and his brother. Plus, all of their cousins who just so happen to look like the pair of them!I mean, what couldpossiblygo wrong, right?Oh boy.





	1. Kicked Out

**Author's Note:**

> HEY HI HELLO BEAUTIFULS.
> 
> This work is inspired by Tyrant_Tortoise's Skeleton Squatters and the Landlandy, and MsMk's Skeletons In Your Closet. I love both works a lot, and got inspired by them to make this. T^T Hopefully it'll be okay.
> 
> If you're here reading this, I thank you for taking time out of your day/afternoon/night to come on a journey with me on the train of ~~sin~~ fluff! I hope you enjoy this story featuring a smorgasbord of skeletons and their shenanigans! So let's buckle up, and begin!

The idea of monsters was foreign for the longest time. Centuries of stories being told and reminded monsters were scary and evil. They were passed down from generation to generation and there were many scary movies even made about them. You walked across the campus, holding your books to your chest as you made your way over to the physics lab.

You passed by many people, including monsters. They had come from Underground about five years prior. There had been a lot of details to hash out; hell, there still were. But Frisk, the ambassador for the monsters, was working diligently to make sure they had equal rights with the rest of them.

Sans, your best friend, was good friends with them. He said they were working a lot harder these days. With the constant flow of work that came in, it was hard for Frisk to get a day off, and you couldn't help but feel bad for them. But Sans assured you that their adoptive mother, Toriel, was making sure the kid was well taken care of.

Speaking of Sans, he was sitting outside the lab, leaning against the building rubbing his temples. It was odd seeing a skeleton monster. There were all these other variations of monsters, but him and his extra enthusiastic brother Papyrus were the only skeleton monsters around. Well, them and their cousins. But you'd never met their cousins, and you'd never been invited over to Sans's house. If anything, he was always coming over to yours to get away from the mayhem.

But one of your roommates didn't like the monster coming around. She always had a problem with Sans even though he'd been nothing but a gentleman to her. Hell, he even cleaned up after himself, which was more than you could say about her friends. Her friends came and trashed the place, and your roommate expected you to clean up after them.

You jogged up to the ever tired skeleton. “Sans, what's wrong?”

He looked over at you and you noticed the bags under his eyes. You questioned often how that was even possible, but you took it in stride. He always said something about it being magic, but you knew he didn't sleep well at night. The one night he had stayed over, he'd woken up screaming in his sleep about his brother dying. Your roommate had put an end to your sleepovers there. It had really just bothered you.

“ah, hey, buddy,” he chuckled. He ran a hand over his skull, the sound of bone scraping against bone making you cringe a little. That sound always bothered you. “just taking a break from dealing with work.”

You smiled a little. “Well, classes are over. Wanna go get something to eat to unwind?”

He perked up at that, grinning. “grillby's alright with you?”

“Always.”

With that, you both made small talk about your classes as you headed to Grillby's. It was where you had first met the comedian. He had been drinking ketchup at the bar when you had gone up to grab another drink and after exchanging a few puns, you had abandoned your roommates to hang out with him instead. While they'd been put off, they didn't leave until you did.

One was a serious monsterphobe, but she would just never admit it in person.

Reaching Grillby's, you both took your places at the bar. When the fire monster came over to you, you shot him a wink.

“What's up, _hot stuff_?”

The white dots that served as Grillby's eyes rolled around behind the glasses he wore. You grinned when he handed you a bottle of your favorite pop and Sans a bottle of ketchup. After walking away and calling out your order to the cooks in the back, he went about his business, tending to the other college goers that were there, probably nursing a hangover.

“so how's it been with your roommates?”

You winced. “Not well. One's not exactly happy I'm friends with a monster. She's been talking a lot lately when I'm not around or not home.” You played with the lid before you placed it back on the bottle, absently screwing it closed. “I feel like I might lose my home.”

Sans's brow bones furrowed a little as he regarded you. “don't ya got any family or other friends you could stay with?”

You shook your head. “My only other friends are all scattered at their own colleges. I'm the only one who came here to Ebott University. And...well, you know the situation with my parents.”

Sans chuckled before picking up the ketchup bottle and taking a drink from it. You made a playful gagging noise and chuckled as he swatted your arm. It had always been easy with Sans. Even his brother was always fun to be around.

So you asked him about how his brother was doing since it'd been a while since you'd seen the sweet cinnamon roll. As your food came out and you ate, he talked about his brother fondly. The way his eye lights always brightened when he spoke of Papyrus was endearing. You loved spending time with both brothers, and hated that you'd been too caught up with school to do so.

As you talked, you noticed your phone ringing. Daisy, your monsterphobe roommate, was calling. You frowned, but answered anyway.

“What's up?” you answered.

“When are you coming back?” she asked, her voice tight.

You noticed the way she didn't say “home”. You narrowed your eyes and Sans looked over at you, noticing how your entire demeanor changed in under a second. Your grip on the phone got a little tighter to the point your knuckles were turning white. Taking in a deep breath, you kept the conversation going.

“I was probably going to head back here in a few minutes,” you answered slowly, taking even breaths.

“Okay. The others and I need to talk to you.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

With that, she hung up. The dread of being homeless was stuck in the back of your throat and you could feel the tears threatening, pricking at the back of your eyes. You took in another deep breath, blowing it out slowly before turning back to your food. None of it looked as appealing now, despite it being the best goddamn burger in existence.

You put your phone back down on the bar top, stuffing a few fries into your mouth. You knew Sans was staring at you intently, waiting for you to say something about your phone call. But what were going to say? That you had been right and you were out a home now? Or that you were okay and still had a place?

Shit. What was going to happen when you went back to the house? Where could you go if they really were going to kick you out? You didn't have enough money saved up just yet. Working at a coffee shop wasn't exactly the highest paying job. You could probably afford a hotel for one or two nights, and there was one close enough to the school you could at least still attend your morning classes the next day. But what about after that?

What were you going to do? You chewed the inside of your cheek, contemplating. Maybe you could ask your mom for that loan she'd offered? Granted, you'd probably have to change your entire major just to please her about you heading off to college in the first place. You weren't too keen on that part, but it was better than being homeless.

You groaned. Sans cleared his throat, somehow, and you looked over at him while stuffing your face full of more fries. He was looking at you with one brow bone raised this time, and you sighed, looking away.

“It was my roommate,” you muttered. “Might be homeless after tonight.”

Now both of those bones furrowed. “buddy...”

You shrugged, taking a swig of your pop. “It's alright. I have some money saved up. I'm sure I can get a room at a hotel for a night or two while I figure out what's going to happen.”

He didn't looked convinced at all. After finishing the food you could finish, you waved to Grillby before bidding Sans goodnight. He hummed his answer, going back to drinking his ketchup. Seriously, that was just gross. You were going to have to remember to do an intervention for him when everything finally settled.

You made your way along the still pretty busy streets. It wasn't too late, probably seven at night on a school night. There were people getting ready to leave for lectures and some that were just coming from theirs. You noticed that some of the humans still gave monsters a wide berth, some even going to the complete other side of the street to get away from them. It made your blood boil a little bit, and you kept your eyes on the ground in front of you.

There was just something about the blatant racism that annoyed you. When the monsters came up, there was a whole section of history the humans were missing. There was a plethora of books and scrolls from before they were even locked Underground. Historians from all over the place had come to look at them and tried to decipher what had been written down. The stuff must have been written down centuries ago, if the papers and scrolls were anything to go by.

They had been here before they were locked Underground. You just didn't understand why people couldn't get that through their heads. They were here before you; they have as much right to be up here than your own species did.

You turned down your street and paused, taking in the sky. It was painted in oranges and pinks and purples. There were next to no clouds in the sky and you just took in how quiet it was for a while. The street was nearly empty and the streetlamps had started to come on again. Bathed in off orange glow of one of them, you took in the quiet and watched as lights began to flicker on.

You were already beginning to miss it. The quiet, the easy atmosphere. You were already thinking about places to stay until you could figure out what to do. Hell, at this point, you probably would have to ask your mom for help. The thought made you crinkle your nose as you continued your walk halfway down the street and heading into your house.

The house was quiet except for the almost inaudible chatter that cut off when you announced your presence. You made your way into the living room where Daisy and Cayden were with Morgan, all three of them chilling there and sitting in a small circle. They looked at you as you came in and moved away from each other. While Daisy looked you in the face, the other two looked away.

Daisy was, again, the most vocal, but it was to a fault. She tended to make decisions and not include other people who were involved and she was completely impulsive. At the beginning of freshman year, you had been really close to her. But then you had begun to notice just how her personality was and promptly started being around her less and less.

But she had noticed, and she tended to try and make your life difficult. You guess now she was just going to use Sans and his brother as an excuse as to why you couldn't live there anymore. The way her lip curled when she saw you made you straighten your spine and meet her eyes.

You weren't going to back down. You were too determined to get down in the dumps.

“Finally,” she said. “Took you long enough.”

“I was out with a buddy,” you replied nonchalantly, shrugging. “I'm not your dog; I don't come when beckoned, Daisy.”

You watched her eye twitch just a little. You would have missed it had you not been looking. But an easy smile curled across your lips as you leaned against the doorjamb to the living room and watched as she took in a deep breath. Before she could say anything, Cayden spoke up, drawing your attention.

“Daisy wants you to leave,” he said quietly. “Morgan and I tried to convince her otherwise, but...she isn't listening...”

Your heart definitely melted at the sight of his sad, puppy dog look. Cayden was a freshman, a year under you, but he had clung to you like a leech when he first came to the school. He was a nerdy kid with glasses and a little acne on his face still. He had curly brown hair and deep chocolate eyes that just screamed he needed to be protected. You couldn't help but feel bad for him and had talked to Daisy about him moving in not long after meeting him.

Morgan nodded, turning his glare to Daisy. “She isn't listening, and she's being a fuckin' bitch about it, too.”

You raised a brow at the rocker. Daisy and him had a fling just a few months ago and it had totally ended in disaster. The only reason the green eyed guitar player was still here was because you and him were really good friends. You both had a love for music, and you often helped him with his music and sang the lyrics he wrote to make sure it sounded alright.

Daisy switched her glare between the two boys before letting out a breath and looking back at you. Her black eyes seemed to pin you down, but you lifted your chin. You weren't afraid of her. You knew all of her weaknesses and all of her strengths. There was no way she would break you down.

“Consider yourself kicked out,” she said, crossing her arms under her chest. “I'll give you a few days to figure out what you're going to do, but by the end of the week, I want you gone.”

You rolled your eyes, waving one of your hands at her. “Whatever. It's better than being in a house with a monsterphobe.”

It was quiet for all of thirty milliseconds before Morgan cracked up, slapping his knee in his laughter. He had little tears in the corners of his eyes as he hooted. Daisy looked taken aback, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Cayden was hiding his face, but from the crinkles in the corner of his eyes, you could tell he was smiling.

“You're lucky I don't kick you out right now,” she snarled after a minute of gathering herself.

You waved her off once more, turning on your heel and heading up the stairs to your room. “Whatever!”

She went to say something else, but you slammed your door shut, locking it and sliding down the door. After taking in a deep breath, you grabbed your phone out of your pocket. There were a few messages from Cayden and Morgen, giving you a heads up about what was to come. Then there was a few from Sans.

 **SANSational:** hey, you alright, buddy?

 **SANSational:** you aren't answering...

 **SANSational:** c'mon, kiddo, gimme something here.

You smiled faintly and sighed, your fingers moving over the screen as you texted him back.

 **You:** I was right. Daisy kicked me out. I have till the end of the week to do something about this situation...but I may have just shortened it by calling her a monsterphobe.

 **SANSational:** i may have a solution for you. meet me tmrw after your class?

 **You:** Alright. I'm gonna head to bed...

After plugging your phone into the charger, you plopped onto your bed, staring up at the ceiling fan. Watching it spin it's endless circles, your eyes closed and you let out a small breath through your nose. You thought back to the last year, watching everything play out in your head.

Your mom hadn't been too excited when you had chosen to go to Ebott University instead of Harvard or Yale. Your grades had been good enough; lord knows if you hadn't had good grades, your mom would have lost her mind. You had everything you needed to attend a high end school, and your mom had pushed hard.

But you had chosen to go to Ebott for your own reasons. Living in the town where everyone sucked up to you because of your mom's success was something you didn't want to stick around for. Everyone thought you would be their friend, or go to their party, or something. But you had avoided most people like the plague. You didn't want anything to do with them. The friends you had were fake as fuck, and it took too long to see that.

You decided to get away from it, and when Ebott announced them opening their own university, you had hopped on that train as soon as you were able to. You had hidden it from your mom until you graduated high school. You still remember the fight that had ensued after you told her you were going to follow your own career path.

You didn't want to be a doctor. The sight of blood and stuff like that didn't bother you, but you just didn't want to be one. She expected you to ride her coattails through your college career and use it to get you higher and better positions and offers.

You didn't want that. You wanted to make a name for yourself. And you didn't want to be a doctor or surgeon. You wanted to do something with animals. Something with history, too. When the monsters came up, and a whole new side of history was discovered, you were eager to learn more.

You turned onto your side, staring out the window into the fallen night. The stars twinkled overhead and you grabbed a pillow. You wrapped yourself around it, placing your cheek on the coolness beneath it. A tear finally trickled down your cheek as you watched the stars out the window.

You were homeless. You didn't have enough saved up. And your mom's words were whispering in the back of your mind. How you wouldn't make it on your own, and how you would come crawling back to her with time...

_No._

You ground your teeth together and closed your eyes tight, taking in a ragged breath. You would make it. You could do this. You could accomplish anything you set your mind to. You were too determined to let this go.

You fell into a fitful sleep, wrapped around your pillow with another tear falling down your cheek.

\--

The next day, it was bright and sunny. Your mood was slowly going down the drain as you tried to figure something out. Your anxiety was rising, and the words your mother said were getting louder in the back of your mind. The only solace you had from it was that Sans said he might have an idea for you. And it was the only thing keeping you from losing your mind completely.

The day went by slower than it usually did. In your biology class, you kept glancing toward the physics building. At one point, you swore you saw Sans, except he looked...different. Sharper, edgier. There was a black hoodie instead of blue, with a fur trimmed hood. There was a glint of gold and red eyelights and then you blinked. And there was no one there. You had furrowed your brows, but went back to your school work.

Walking along the halls, you thought you had seen Papyrus. He was standing outside in a bright orange hoodie, _smoking_. Which was weird because Papyrus _hated_ smoking. He said it was unbecoming and ruined the body, even though it was different for him, since he was a goddamn skeleton. But when you did a double take, he was gone. You'd looked around for another moment before shrugging it off and heading to your next class.

During your final class of the day, you glanced up toward the front and noticed there was a red light in the corner of the room. Just a single red light, looking right at you. And, sticking to the pattern, when you blinked, there was nothing there. You looked around, starting to panic.

As you were walking to the physics building, you kept your books clutched to your chest. You were becoming fully convinced that you were beginning to go insane from the stress you were putting on yourself. You blew out a breath as you saw Sans coming out of the building, rubbing his skull again before pausing when he saw you.

“hey ki–you okay? you look really freaked out,” he said, concern lacing his tone.

“I-I'm fine,” you stammered. “I just...I thought I was seeing things today. It's probably the stress of everything going on.” You chuckled humorlessly and ran a hand through your hair. “I could also be losing my mind. That could be a thing.”

Sans tilted his head to the side, regarding you. “what were you seeing?”

“Hell, I don't even know,” you groaned. “First thing this morning in my first class, I thought I saw you. But, like, edgier and with a gold tooth or something. Then when I walking to another class, I could have sworn I saw Papyrus out in the school yard smoking in an orange hoodie. Then in my last class? There was this red orb that was just staring at me in the shadows. But anytime I blinked, it was gone.” You shook your head. “Like I said, I'm going crazy.”

Sans muttered something under his breath. You didn't quite catch it, but sounded like he said he was going to kill someone? More than one person? You couldn't tell, because when he looked at you, he kept his gaze even as he motioned toward the nearest cafe.

“figured we'd do some muffet's today,” he said softly. “ya look beat.”

You smiled, the tension in your shoulders easing as he led the way to the small bakery not too far from campus. From what you understood, Grillby and Muffet had a little bit of a competitive streak back Underground. While he ran the bar, she ran a small bakery. When you learned she used actual spiders in her food, you'd swiftly declined anything else from there.

But the coffee she could brew was spot on. Even the tea was perfect. Apparently the King of the monsters was big on plants and he and his ex wife were big on teas. It made sense, you guessed.

When you entered Muffet's cafe, you took a seat toward the front, dropping your books down as Sans went and ordered your drinks. You placed your head on the cool table, trying to wrap your head around everything that was going on in that moment.

You were homeless. Your doubts were beginning to creep in. You missed a lot of what was being said today because you were positive you were seeing things. Were you being stalked? Were you just imagining your two favorite monsters as other people? You couldn't tell anymore. Everything was so confusing and you just wanted a vacation.

Sans came back over and you lifted your head up. He passed you a cup of steaming coffee just how you liked it. You gratefully accepted it, taking in a deep breath before taking a small sip. After triple checking the last time that it was safe to drink this, it had become your favorite thing. Muffet never mentioned where she got the coffee beans at, but you could tell it was some high quality stuff. You sighed and wrapped your hands around the cup.

When you looked at Sans, he was tapping away furiously on his phone. His brow bones were furrowed and he looked like he was ready to blow a gasket. Could he blow one of those? You didn't know, but you knew he definitely didn't look happy.

He grunted and damn near slammed his phone down, shaking his head. When he looked up at you, he gave you a smile, but you could tell it was strained.

“So what is this idea you have for me?” you finally asked after few moments. “Cause if you tell me to go and live with my parents again...”

“you can stay with me.”

You blinked once. Opened your mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. And blinked again. Did he really just offer that?

Sans was a huge recluse. It was known all around campus. He didn't talk to many people. Maybe two on campus, not including you. And then there was his brother and his cousins he said were in from out of town. You knew there was the lizard monster Alphys, and Undyne, her girlfriend. But otherwise, he was pretty much on his own until you came around.

Hell, he even lived far as hell away from the campus just to have some privacy. You knew he had to have a big house to have so many cousins living with him. But you also knew he loved his privacy. You didn't want to intrude on that.

“Sans, I–”

He shook his head, leaning forward ever so slightly and catching your wandering gaze. “kid, it's fine. we have a couple of spare rooms, and i talked it over with the guys last night. they said it was alright. plus, you can save up your money to get your own place; the boys and i make enough to cover everything otherwise.”

You paused, running a finger up and down the spine of one of your textbooks. You really didn't want to move in on his privacy. But he was offering and really...

Where were you going to go?

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Fine. Just...I need rules and I don't wanna just sit there for free, so I'm gonna want something to do like cooking or something...”

Sans held up his hand. “we'll deal with all that later, pal. right now, i'm gonna take you there and show you where you're gonna be staying. sound good?”

You nodded. “Lead the way.”


	2. Thank You Cooking Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head over to the skeleton residence and meet a couple of the skeletons you'll be staying with.  
> You also learn how a couple of them cook, and they try and figure out who came to see you in your last class before all heading out to your old home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in the beginning of the chapters, I'll be introducing the new skeletons that will pop up. Their universe and their given name. Here we have:
> 
>  **Undertale Sans:** Sans  
>  **Undertale Papyrus:** : Papyrus  
>  **Underfell Sans:** Red  
>  **Underfell Papyrus:** Edge  
>  **Underswap Sans:** Blueberry  
>  **Underswap Papyrus:** Stretch
> 
> All of your comments had me crackin' up, and I appreciate that you enjoyed it. xD Thank you for the laughs!
> 
> I put out the second chapter because the first one got a lot of love. So have this, and then chapter three will be up Monday. The 22nd.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, and again, thank you for taking time out of your day/night/afternoon/morning to read this. **< 3**

The house Sans took you to was massive. He lived basically in the middle of nowhere, and there were trees lining the pathway up to the house. Forest was around you for miles, and you looked around you with a raised brow. He still lived awfully close to the mountain, but he still lived a decent distance away to where he would be considered to be in the middle.

The house had at least three stories, and had a large porch that had some chairs set out with an ashtray that looked like it was overflowing. There was a tire swing in one of the bigger trees closest to the house. It was painted in a broad spectrum of colors, which threw you for a loop. Houses mostly had just one color, but you liked the way it looked with the black roof. It contrasted nicely.

Vibrant plants were swaying in the breeze as you made your way toward the front door. Before entering, Sans paused and tilted his head, seeming to be listening for something. You knew his hearing was amazing. You'd tried to sneak up on him before, but he had known you were the moment you had stepped through the door.

When he seemed satisfied, he opened the door and waved you inside. You followed behind him, taking in the area around you. The ceiling was tall and the rooms were kind of sparse. The walls had some stuff hanging on them, but they were still kind of bare with how big they were. There were four couches sitting in a living room, a coffee table sitting in the middle of three and the other had an end table on either end of it. There was a television mounted up on the wall above a fireplace.

He led you into the room so you could put your books down on the coffee table in the middle of the room. As you bent down to place them, a low wolf whistle sounded behind you.

“godddamn, kitty, ya got an ass.”

You squeaked, standing up and turning in one fluid motion. Sans had taken his place in front of you, one of his hoodie clad arms slightly held out. You were about the same height as Sans, maybe an inch or two shorter. But it was still nice.

When you looked back up to the newcomer, you did a double take for the fourth time that day. You pointed a finger at him, sputtering for a minute before you could say anything.

“You!”

And even then, you weren't very articulate.

The newcomer looked almost just like Sans. Except, again, edgier. He had crimson eye lights instead of white, and he had on a black hoodie with a fur trimmed hood. He wore a red tee shirt and a black collar with golden spikes protruding from it and a metal loop around it. A bone tag hung from it, but you couldn't see anything written on it. He wore a pair of black jeans that rode low on his pelvis and a pair of combat boots that were haphazardly tied.

He grinned at you and a golden tooth glinted back at you. “hey, kitten. didn't think ya'd recognize me. gotta say 'm flattered.”

Sans cleared his throat and the other guy just gave him a brief glance before looking in your direction again. Before the stranger could say anything else, Sans spoke.

“red. knock it off. we talked about this.”

Red looked between the two of you before waving a clawed hand at Sans. While they were having a stare down, you noticed the differences between them, but you could see some clear similarities between the two of them as well. Like how alike they looked. While Red was a little more on the Hot Topic and Spencer's side, Sans was more on the vanilla side. But the way they spoke, their structure...they seemed so identical.

“'m not doin' anythin',” Red said dismissively. “just sayin' hello t' th' new roomie.”

You scoffed and popped out a hip, placing your hand there while staring him down. “Then go talk about someone else's ass, ya fuck.”

He blinked and you saw Sans trying to fight off a laugh. When your gaze snapped back to Red, he was wearing a large grin, his tooth glinting in the light. You glared at him, keeping your posture even as he changed his so he could lean against the doorjamb.

“yer feisty; i like 't,” he purred, his eyelights flaring a little.

You rolled your eyes and turned back to Sans, who was still glaring at his cousin. You straightened yourself and placed a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to relax under your touch, but kept his glare on his cousin as he grabbed your hand and led you from the room. Red made no move to stop you, but his eyelights and playful smile followed you out of the room.

When you were far enough away, Sans blew out a breath and groaned. “i'm sorry. i told them all i would be bringing you today to see the room we chose for you, but i asked them to stay away.”

“It's alright. I'm just...” You took your hand back and rubbed your temples as your pace slowed. “He was one of the ones I saw in my class. The first one.”

Sans's face lit up in a faint blue blush, and he rubbed the back of his skull. You didn't hear the noise of bone on bone over what he was saying. “yeah. sorry. they're pretty impatient. the one you mistook as paps is actually stretch. he and his brother live here, too.”

“Oh! Does Red have a brother, too?”

He nodded absently. “yeah. edge. although i can't tell who the last one was.”

You hummed as you made your way behind him, going up a flight of stairs before he turned and went down the hall of the second floor. It was spacious, with a lot of room. You wondered just how many relatives lived with him for him to need a house this big.

At the end of the hall, he went up another flight of stairs and you followed, still looking at the amount of rooms there were.

“the second floor is mostly office space and the library and stuff like that,” he said, motioning to the stairs. “but it does have a couple bedrooms. this floor is the rest of the bedrooms and the like. my room is right here.” He pointed to the door that had his name written lazily across it in blue paint. “your room will be right here.”

He opened a door right next to his and motioned you inside. When you entered and turned on the light, you're eyes nearly bugged out of your head. The room was huge! It was at least twice as big as your other room, and it was already furnished. There was a bed and dresser, even a desk with an incredibly comfy looking chair. There were a couple lamps that were put in the room and the curtains were drawn. The carpet was super soft, too.

You looked back at Sans, who had looked away, blushing once more. “This is my room?”

“if ya want it, buddy.”

“This is...I mean, are you absolutely sure I can come here? I can find something else, or ask my mom...”

He shook his head. “it's fine, kid. just take it. we'll figure things out along way, right?”

You sighed, nodding. “Alright. This is perfect. Thank you.”

He smiled. Not just his usual grin that was permanently plastered on his face, but an easy smile that made your heart beat quicken just a smidgen. You pressed the heel of your hand to your sternum before giving him a smile back.

“when did you want to move all of your stuff in?” he asked after a moment, leaning against the wall.

“Well, I don't need my bed or any of my furniture,” you mused softly, taking in stock of what was around the room. “Since everything is right here. Actually...”

You went further into the room and you basically fell face first into the bed. It was soft; like you had fallen onto a bed of clouds. You sank slowly in and sighed, moving your face to the side.

“This definitely works better than my bed,” you groaned. “So much softer.”

You heard Sans chuckle and heard his clothing shift before the bed beside you dipped suddenly. You made a noise in the back of your throat as he practically laid on top of you and the smell of ketchup invaded your nose.

“Christ, for being nothing but bones, you sure as hell are heavy,” you grunted.

He chuckled, and you could feel the vibrations through your body. You made a move to try and get up, but he didn't move. After groaning about how comfy he was while on top of you, you finally managed to push him off and move off the bed. When you turned toward the door, you grinned.

“Papy!”

The giant skeleton was standing the door and opened his arms for you as you ran to him. He wore a white shirt with “COOL DUDE” written on the front in black marker. He had on blue jeans and wore his red boots. His red scarf and gloves completed the ensemble, giving him his classic Papyrus look. He swept you into his arms and squeezed you tight.

“I'VE MISSED YOU, TOO, DEAR!” Papyrus said, his voice loud in your ear. It didn't bother you as much as it first did. “SANS TOLD ME WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND I FELT SO BAD. UNTIL HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO HELP YOU OUT!”

“Yeah, things aren't exactly ideal right now,” you muttered, jumping down from your perch in his arms. “But I'm here, and I'm going to be alright.”

He nodded. “WHY DON'T WE MAKE DINNER TOGETHER TONIGHT. DO YOU HAVE CLASSES TOMORROW?”

“No. I only have work on Saturday. So was thinking tomorrow we could pack all my stuff up and bring it over here,” you said thoughtfully. “So yeah, we can cook dinner together.”

His eyes lights brightened in joy before he nodded and told you he was heading down to get the prep started. When you waved him off, you turned back to Sans, who was sitting up on the bed now. He was watching you warily. Even after all this time, he was still cautious with you around his brother, which you guess you understood. They only have each other from what you knew. Other than their cousins, obviously.

After you both made your way back downstairs, talking quietly with each other about how to go about the move, you went into the living room to grab one of your books. You paused when you saw there was another skeleton standing there, turning one of your school books in his hands.

He was tall and looked like Papyrus, and he wore an orange hoodie. He had a lollipop stick poking out between his teeth and his eye sockets were a little more lidded and than your boisterous friend's. He had on tan cargo shorts and wore white sneakers that weren't even tied. When he looked over at you guys as you came into the room, you threw your hands up.

“And another one!” you shouted.

The Papyrus look alike chuckled lazily and waved a hand. “real _sweet_ of you to notice. name's stretch.”

You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms. “Why are you going through my stuff?”

“just seeing why you're going to college.”

“You're nosy.”

“but i don't have a nose.”

Your mouth shut with an audible click and you could hear Sans trying really hard not to laugh. You glared in his direction before you went over to Stretch and took the book, placing it back with your belongings and huffing. After making sure all of your things were there, you went and headed toward the sound of pots and pans.

They were talking quietly when you left, but you didn't catch any of their conversation. You thought you heard something about a machine, but you continued. It wasn't your business, and you weren't about to make it your business.

When you got into the kitchen, you saw Papyrus happily moving about, getting things prepped and ready for your dinner. But you saw two other skeletons there, and they both whirled around to look at you. You paused, looking between the three skeletons in front of you. Papyrus had stopped moving and was watching them, mostly the taller one that resembled an edgier version of him.

He was even a little taller than Papyrus. He had on a deep blood orange tank top matched with a pair of low hanging black jeans. Had had on neatly tied combat boots, and you noticed there was a red and gold belt keeping his pants in place, along with a black sweater tied around his hips. You looked up to his face and tried really hard not to stare at the two deep, gouging cracks that ran from the top of his skull over his left eye, and to the bottom of his cheekbone. You must have failed because he let out a low snarl.

“DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY APPEARANCE?” he snapped.

You took a step back, holding up your hands. “No, no, I...I'm sorry.”

He didn't stop his glaring, even as the smaller of the three of them popped out from behind Papyrus. He looked like Sans and Red, but much smaller. He had bright cyan eye lights that regarded you, even as moved forward. He dressed a lot like Papyrus did when you had first met the brothers. He had on a blue tee shirt with a taco on it, and a pair of jeans that seemed rolled up to his ankles. He wore a pair of cowboy boots, a blue bandanna, and pair of blue gloves.

Wow, the similarities were going to give you whiplash here.

You regarded him even as he grinned wide, and his eyelights literally changed into stars as he came charging toward you. He stopped just in front of you and held out one of his gloved hands.

“HUMAN, IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU!” he exclaimed loudly. “I AM THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY, BLUE FOR SHORT.”

You smiled down at him and took his hand. “It's nice to meet you, too, Blue.”

“HMPH.”

The edgy version of Papyrus snorted and you looked up at him. He was giving you the stink eye, but he moved forward. He held out a red gloved hand to you, and you cautiously took it, drawing back a little. He was just a little intimidating.

“I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE,” he said slowly. “I APOLOGIZE IF I STARTLED YOU. THE CUSTOMS HERE ARE NOT LIKE MY OWN...HOME.”

You blinked up at him and he moved away, heading back toward the counter where he was cutting something up. Blue grabbed your hand, dragging you further into the kitchen where he was showing you what he was making. Papyrus was making his usual spaghetti, and Edge looked like was making some kind of other pasta dish. Blueberry however...

“Tacos?”

He nodded eagerly and motioned to the pan in front of him. There was perfectly made meat and the smell of the spices wafted up with the steam from the pan. It smelled absolutely amazing. It reminded you of when Papyrus had first made his friendship spaghetti. Sans had thanked you profusely, even as he held your hair back and you emptied what you had eaten.

From there, you had offered him cooking courses. During that time, the kitchen had become a disaster. Daisy had been utterly pissed off, and had threatened to kick your ass if you didn't clean it up right away. You had told her to get lost before joining your friends in the backyard to reap the fruit of your labor.

Something nagged at you from the back of your mind, but you paid it no mind as you bounced around the kitchen with all three skeletons. They all were making totally different dishes, and you learned Edge was making lasagna. You also learned that, much like Papyrus, they'd had a totally different outlook on the way food was made.

Edge used to put vinegar in his, and then proceed to _break the bottle and put the broken shards in the food_. The thought made you mentally cringe and cry as you told him how bad that actually was for human consumption. Lucky for you, Papyrus had done the same thing you did for him and gave him and Blueberry a crash course in how to properly prepare the dishes.

When you asked about Blue's, he had excitedly told you that he made his tacos with glitter and glue. You had paused and asked if it had been at least edible glitter. He only shrugged. You had a really bad gut feeling that it had been the craft herpes version instead and silently thanked the gods above that Papyrus had taught them well.

At one point, you had gone to the fridge to grab something to drink and opened it to find _so many bottles of ketchup and mustard_. There was just an abundance and you just stared dumbly while grabbing a water bottle, closing the fridge and turning away. You weren't even going to ask questions at this point. You didn't think you would want the answers.

When all three dishes were done and you finished chopping up the toppings for Blue's tacos, you helped the boys take everything into the dining room. The others were already gathered, and Sans was sitting next to an empty seat. At first, you thought it was for Papyrus until the said skeleton sat at a different chair. You sat next to Sans and helped yourself to some of the food.

It was marvelous. The lasagna had all the right portions and the tacos were just spicy enough to not burn the taste buds off of your tongue. You told the boys as such and were met with glowing faces. Red cracked up and said something quietly to his brother, who only sent him a glare. You smiled behind your hand as you raised another forkful of food to your face.

They spent the dinner talking to you and getting to know you a little more. Sans would deflect questions that he didn't deem appropriate, like when Red asked your cup size, or that made you uncomfortable. Like Blue innocently asking about your parents. Throughout dinner, you could still pick out the similarities between some of the skeletons. Like with Sans, Red and Stretch seemed to act just like him. They had puns galore, and they liked to mess with their respective brothers. Whereas with Papyrus, Edge and Blueberry acted like him. From the loud voices to the nicknames. You had caught that last bit in the kitchen.

The Great Papyrus.

The Great and Terrible Edge.

The Magnificent Blueberry.

You were sure there was something fishy going on here, but as you helped clean up the dinner dishes, you shrugged it off. It didn't bother you in the slightest, and you were ready to make this place your new home. You helped Papyrus and Blueberry with the dishes while Edge cleaned off the counter tops. There was light talking and you turned when you heard your name.

Sans stood in the large doorway of the kitchen, beckoning you with a hand. You handed the towel off to Blue, who waved you away and set about finishing up the dish you had been drying. When you reached Sans, he took you to the living room, where the other two were as well. Neither one of them looked happy, but you sat beside Sans as he rubbed his forehead gently.

“listen, kid,” he said finally. “i need you to tell these two what you saw in your final class today. maybe one of them can figure it out.”

You shook your head. “I told you. It was just a single red orb staring at me. I blinked, and it was gone. There was nothing else there.” You waved a hand at Red. “I thought it was him again, but the orb was bigger than his lights.”

Stretch hummed, throwing one of his orange clad arms across the back of the couch. He had a toothpick between his teeth this time, lazily rolling it around. Red was leaned back in the couch, typing away on his phone now while glaring at it. It reminded you of earlier at Muffet's when Sans had almost broken his phone in agitation. But both of them looked like they were thinking it over.

“did it look like it could have been dilated?” Stretch asked, glancing at you.

You pursed your lips. “Maybe. I only saw it for a second.”

Red chuckled. “sounds t' me like it was axe.”

“Axe?” Sans grunted, but when you looked at him, he seemed...uncomfortable.

“he's...another cousin. him and his brother, crooks, live out in the woods. they don't like comin' around.”

“that, an' we don't _like_ them comin' 'round,” Red muttered. “give me th' stars damned creeps.”

You scowled. “You don't even like them coming around. Yet he came and saw me. That makes me feel great.”

Sans shook his head. “it'll be fine, kid. so. you wanna stay here for the night, or go home and deal with the monsterphobe?”

Their eyelights went to you and you fidgeted, running through your fingers through your hair. You could go back; technically you still had a couple more days. But you didn't want to deal with Daisy. Before you had left this morning for class, she'd been acting as passive aggressive as she could. Even Morgan called her out on her shit before he took his coffee out the door.

You had managed to snag your breakfast before making a hasty exit, following Morgan all the way to the school. Neither of you had spoken, but at one point, he did apologize. He felt bad he couldn't sway her opinion, but he was planning on leaving anyway, and Cayden found some friends who were looking for another roomie. Which meant that Daisy would be on her own in a couple of weeks.

You needed to text him so he knew you would still be in town. Since you told him this morning you didn't know what was going to happen.

You brought your phone out as you thought it over, sending him a quick message before you put the phone down on your lap and sighed.

“Can I just stay over here?”

“ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A SLUMBER PARTY?”

You looked over your shoulder to see Papyrus and Blue entering the living room. They had put their gloves back on and were watching you with hope in their eyelights, their sockets somehow widening. You hid a smile and looked over at Sans, who was giving you and easy smile and a nod that was barely perceptible.

You looked back over to them and sighed, nodding. “Yeah, I'm gonna be staying here ton – jesus!”

The shortest of the two had come jumping over the back couch and was watching you with huge stars in his eye sockets, his hands held together in front of him as he grinned up at you. You drew your head back in surprise as he got closer to you.

“CAN WE STAY WITH YOU AND BUILD A BLANKET FORT?” he pleaded. “STRETCH WON'T LET ME, AND I REALLY WANT TO BUILD ONE.”

Fuck, how were you supposed to say no to that face? If he had lips, he would be puckering them out and he was giving you such a wistful and sad stare...it wasn't fair. Skeletons shouldn't be able to be this adorable.

You sighed and placed a hand on his skull. You noted that Stretch stiffened a little when you did, but you gave the small skeleton a smile and said, “Yeah, we can.”

With a loud whoop, he drew you into a hug. You felt your eyes go wide as you tried to look at the others for help. But no one moved to help you. Red was chuckling and Stretch was smiling, even if he did seem a little tense. Sans had grabbed bottle of ketchup at some point and winked at you when you looked at him.

“don't be fooled by his childlike bullshit,” Red snorted from his spot on the opposite couch. “he's th' same age as vanilla an' i.”

Blue pulled away from you and sent a lethal glare his way. Red shrugged while Stretch chuckled and shook his head.

“well, honey, do you need to get anything from your place?”

You looked over at him and thought for a moment. “I could probably grab some extra clothes and stuff, maybe bring some of the smaller things with me since I don't need to bring any furniture.” You were tapping your lip as you thought of things you could bring with you. “But you guys probably wouldn't want to come with.”

“an' why not?” Red huffed.

“My one roommate is a horrible monsterphobe,” you reiterated. “Always gave Sans shit when he came over to hang out. I even had Papyrus stop coming over because of her attitude.”

You rolled your eyes, looking back at Blueberry as he started talking excitedly. You missed the way Red and Stretch both looked at you like they had struck the lottery.

You stood up, stretching and went over to the front door. You looked over your shoulder and smiled. “Coming?”

\--

Sans remembers when he met you. You had come to bar to ask Grillby for refills for you and your friends. Something you said triggered a pun out of him, and that was that. The second your own pun came out, it was like he was falling skull over bony heels for you. The way your eyes danced in the light and the way your smile seemed to make his soul light up. And then he'd asked for your name as you joined him.

“Y/n,” you'd answered, and it made his soul throb.

Something about you was just so pure and amazing, and he wanted to be around it more. He didn't even check your soul like he had any other human he had crossed paths with. To him, in that moment, it had felt like an invasion.

After that, get-together's at Grillby's became a regular thing. At one point, even Papyrus was joining them, even if he did need a few drinks in him to stop nagging at Grillby about the greasy food. He remembered you patiently and painstakingly slowly trying to teach his brother how to make a better version of spaghetti so you didn't get sick.

Hell, he still had a laugh of you bent over the toilet emptying it of that friendship spaghetti.

There was just something about you that made him feel better about all the shit he had gone through Underground. He didn't like to think about it, and often Frisk would apologize for it. But he always told them the same thing.

“ya did good this time, buddy.”

And he meant it. Watching you interact with your peers around you and watching as you and Morgan jammed out in the living room was something he could watch over and over. You were so kind, thoughtful. It was something he could really use on the hard days when the machine just wasn't cooperating.

Speaking of...

“c'mon, why not?” Red grouched from beside him.

They watched as you and Stretch went out the door, talking quietly about your school work. Sans waited for the door to close before turning to face his more violent self. “because one of her roommates is a total monsterphobe, red. she'd say the wrong thing, and you'd go all 'fell' on her. and i can't have that here.”

Red rolled his eyelights and grumbled. “'m goin' anyway,” he said as he stood. He lazily made his way over to the door. “ya comin' 'r not, 'nilla?”

Sans rubbed his forehead again in agitation. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. You were just supposed to meet them, then go get some stuff. Then you were supposed to stay with him in his room. Truth be told, he'd had his eyelight on you for a while. But, he could tell the others felt the same way he did. Hell, even his own version of his brother had talked about it.

It was one of the reasons he'd never invited you over. The second he did, he knew he would have lost you among the sea of skeletons. Just like he felt was happening now. But, hey, if he kept himself in the game, then he didn't see a problem. He was usually too lazy to chase things. But you would be worth it.

You were worth a lot, in his book. As he followed Red and chased you and Stretch down, his grin eased up just a tad. You didn't think you were, but you always had been. Humans were always a problem, but you were one of the first he had come across that didn't treat him, or his brother and friends, like absolute crap.

“Sans?”

He looked over you, your big, doe eyes dancing with mirth and he chuckled, picking his pace up only just enough to catch up to you.

He may have to fight his and his brother's lookalikes for you, but he would do it. He would do it in a heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans to Reader: i have no idea who that could have been. let's go ask these two.  
> Sans's thoughts: you fuckers told him and now you can tell her the horror brother version of us is stalking her. congrats, ya fucks.


	3. Fell Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading off to the house.  
> Morgan and you do a thing, and then Red does something...well, very Red-like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **OKAY SO CAN I JUST SAY FIRST OF ALL, Y'ALL GIVING THIS SO MUCH LOVE FOR ONLY TWO CHAPTERS.**
> 
> Like, _wow_.  
> Y'all making me smile and crack up over here.
> 
> SO AS I PROMISED, here is chapter three. I hope you enjoy!  
> Song in Chapter:  
> [Lost Boy - Ruth B](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5usQ44zs__4)

You hadn't realized just how animated all of these skeletons could be. Even Sans had partially abandoned his lazy ways to join in the banter. All three of them were taking turns telling their most horrible jokes to try and get you to continue laughing. You were pretty sure there were tears in your eyes as you all made your way into town.

It wasn't too late, probably around six or seven at night. Morgan had texted you after you let him know about coming to grab a few of your things. He had always liked Sans. Respected him for taking care of his brother. It was a nice change of pace of Daisy and her group of friends always talking shit. He would be there to help you out in whatever way he could.

Cayden had even texted you asking if you were okay. He told you he was moving out at the beginning of next week after his classes ended. He had never like Daisy, but just like Morgan, had tolerated it just to make sure you weren't alone.

You were going to miss those boys.

“knock knock.” Stretch's turn.

You hummed. “Who's there?”

“icy.”

“Icy who?”

“you see me, d'ya need glasses or something?”

You cracked up, covering your mouth with your hand as you swatted his arm. Even Sans and Red were chuckling. You made a small note in the back of your mind they didn't all seem to always get along, and this was something rare to see. You took a mental picture of this, Stretch grinning down at you with a lit cigarette. Red with rosy cheeks as he laughed and Sans with one of the easiest grins he'd ever worn around you.

Sans spoke up next, “knock knock.”

“Who's there?”

“major.”

He'd been hitting you with a lot of jokes he hadn't told you before. Just how many jokes did this guy actually know?

“Major who?”

“ _major_ your day with this joke, didn't i?”

You cackled, yanking his hood up over his head as you both laughed. Red dodged out of the way before being bowled over by a stumbling and laughing Sans, almost falling into the street as he laughed. He caught himself, swinging himself around on a street lamp and leaning against it. You kept laughing as he shot you the finger guns. For a guy who was points and claws, he was really easygoing.

“knock knock.”

Plus, his voice wasn't bad to listen to, either.

“Who's there?”

“spell.”

“Spell who.”

“w-h-o.”

It admittedly took you a few seconds to get that one, and when you did, you guffawed, shoving him back onto the road. The others were roaring with laughter behind you and you finally managed to turn onto your street with Red making strange faces at you from the middle of the road. You pointed from him, to the spot next to you he had abandoned.

“Get over here,” you commanded.

“oh, kitten's gettin' bossy,” he purred, scratching the air like a cat. “me likey.”

“Can you not?” you groan, pausing in front of the house. “Alright, look. If Daisy is home or comes home and she says some shit, just...play nice.”

Red definitely didn't like that as he joined you and the others on the sidewalk, walking up toward the house. You dug the key out of your pocket and unlocked the door, letting it swing open. Morgan was standing in the archway to the living room. When he saw it was you, he waved, but paused when he looked behind you.

“Jesus Christ, birdie,” he breathed out. “Did you bring an army with you or something?”

“Or something,” you say as you came inside, letting the others come in. “You obviously already know Sans. These are his cousins Stretch and Red.”

Red gave a lazy wave while Stretch opted to blow smoke through the air from his cigarette. Crap, you had forgotten he was smoking. But when you looked over at Morgan, he had lit one up himself, winking and jiggling the ashtray in his hand before he ducked back inside the room, disappearing from view.

“i always knew i liked him,” Sans said as he passed by, following to where Morgan went. Stretch and Red followed, chuckling.

You rolled your eyes and went into the room with them, watching as Morgan fiddled with his guitar. You plopped down beside him, holding the ashtray over his cigarette. He used his tongue to flick the ashes into the tray. You put it back as the boys got settled, Red even lighting up his own smoke. You smiled a little as Morgan strummed his tuned guitar once.

“One more before we split up?” he asked softly.

You smiled. “Hey, don't get sappy on me. We're still gonna talk and get together, you know. Remember, you asked me to backup guest sing for you on occasion for your stupid duets when Daisy's croonie backs out the night before."

He grinned and strummed a few chords on the guitar and you closed your eyes, swaying to the side a little. This song was usually done on his piano, but you were short on time before the bitch came home. And it was just you two here with these three buffoons. You smiled a little as you opened your mouth, the words tumbling out of you.

_“There was a time, when I was alone,_

_Nowhere to go and no place to call home,_

_My only friend was the man in the moon,_

_And even sometimes, he would go away, too._

_Then one night as I closed my eyes,_

_I saw a shadow flying high,_

_He came to me with the sweetest smile,_

_Told me he wanted to talk for a while_

_He said, 'Peter Pan, that's what they call me,_

_I promise that you'll never be lonely.' And ever since that day...”_

It was quiet in the room, minus your voice and the guitar. You were making mental notes to tell him about his playing, and that one note seemed kind of off. You cracked open an eye and were met with the stares of three skeletons. Sans had sat in on this before, and you noticed he had grabbed a bottle of ketchup from the fridge. And it looked like Red was nursing mustard? Was that honey Stretch was drinking? What in the world...

_“I am a lost boy, from Neverland,_

_Usually hanging out with Peter Pan_

_And when we're bored, we play in the woods._

_Always on the run from Captain Hook_

_'Run, run, lost boy,' they say to me_

_Away from all of reality._

_“Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free._

_Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free.”_

You knew you were singing with your hands again. It was an old habit you had from when your old nanny had taught you how to properly sing. You remembered your father always coming in to hear the newest song you had learned. You sang with your hands to keep tempo and pitch and you could feel your hand pressing against your chest as you sang.

The memories were always beautiful.

_“He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe,_

_Believe in him and believe in me._

_Together we will fly away in a cloud of green_

_To your beautiful destiny_

_As we soared above the town that never loved me_

_I realized I finally had a family,_

_Soon enough we reached Neverland,_

_Peacefully my feet hit the sand_

_And ever since that day..._

_“I am a lost boy, from Neverland,_

_Usually hanging out with Peter Pan_

_And when we're bored, we play in the woods._

_Always on the run from Captain Hook_

_'Run, run, lost boy,' they say to me,_

_Away from all of reality._

_“Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free._

_Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free.”_

You let your voice carry over the notes, and you kept your eyes closed the entire time. You didn't want to see their reactions. Sans always had the same one, and he seemed mesmerized by your voice. Hell, he always seemed to ask for just one more, even when Daisy told you guys that your singing was sub par and that you needed to knock it off. In the long run, you think he just liked pissing her off more.

Fine by you.

_“Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Wendy Darling,_

_Even Captain Hook, you are my perfect story book_

_Neverland I love you so,_

_You are now my home sweet home_

_Forever a lost boy at last_

_Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Wendy Darling,_

_Even Captain Hook, you are my perfect story book_

_Neverland I love you so,_

_You are now my home sweet home,_

_Forever a lost boy at last,_

_“And for always I will say..._

_“I am a lost boy, from Neverland,_

_Usually hanging out with Peter Pan_

_And when we're bored, we play in the woods._

_Always on the run from Captain Hook_

_'Run, run, lost boy,' they say to me,_

_Away from all of reality._

_“Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free._

_Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_

_And lost boys like me are free.”_

Morgan strummed the last note on the guitar and it was quiet as you opened your eyes. The boys were all looking at you with pinpricks for eyelights. Red looked excited, much like Sans did when he first heard you sing. Stretch was slack jawed, his mandible hanging open slightly as he regarded you. You chuckled, feeling your face heat up as you rubbed the back of your head.

“that was amazing,” Stretch finally commented, having picked his jaw up off the floor.

You laughed as a light dusting of orange colored his cheekbones. Morgan nodded as he put the guitar on its stand and regarded the skeletons in front of him. “She doesn't tend to think so.” He grinned over at you and you smiled back. “She's been doing this with me since I moved in here, and I always come to her for help with the lyrics.”

“ya wrote that?” Red asked.

“I write all the songs I play,” Morgan said, nodding. “I had birdie over here sing them out for me when we have the free time to do it.”

“so d'ya have a band?” Stretch asked suddenly.

Morgan studied him for a minute before shaking his head. “Nah. I did, but one of the guys flunked out and fucked off outta here a month ago.” He rolled his eyes. “Dumbass liked to try and not do the work and expected to still pass.”

Stretch and Red both chuckled. Sans just hummed, his eye lights on you. You gave him a smile as you turned back to the others, who were having a deep conversation about music. This is what it should have been like. But Daisy just couldn't think of them as people...

Speaking of...

“What are these things doing in my house?”

You tensed as all conversation cut off abruptly. Morgan turned his playful smile into a glare as he turned to the door. Daisy stood there with hands on her hips, her baggy sweater hanging off of her shoulder. She had a few of her friends behind her, peeking into the room to see what the problem was. You looked between everyone in the room.

The skeletons didn't move from their spots, but their eyelights were all on you. Two pairs of white, and one red. You counted to ten in your head before giving them a small smile and looking over at Daisy as Morgan stood.

“We _were_ having fun,” he snarked. “Then her highness had to come back and ruin it.” He looked at you and your guests. “I can help ya guys gather thing things you wanna take tonight. Hell, I'll even come and hang out with ya.”

Daisy made a noise in the back of her throat. “You're so gross.”

“Not what you were saying last night, bitch.”

You lost it, slapping your knees as Sans and Red spit out their respective condiments, and Stretch choked on his smoke. Daisy face was red instantly, and you reveled in how her friends were looking at her in shock. Guess they didn't know Morgan and her still fucked around on occasion. Their faces spoke volumes.

Blowing out a breath, you stood up from your place on the love seat and standing next to Morgan. “You'll have to take that up with them,” you said quietly, motioning to the skeletons who were trying to gather themselves. “They're really protective over their brothers. Hell, I've know Papyrus for a couple years and Sans still gets twitchy when I hug him.”

Sans waved a hand. “it'll be fine. i'm sure paps and the others wouldn't mind an extra human friend in the house.”

Stretch wheezed, stubbing out his cigarette as he nodded. “i know blue would.”

Red shrugged. “boss c'n take care o' himself.”

You huffed. “That's if Edge even joins in.”

“'m sure he will, kitten.”

The boys got up, moving with you and Morgan to your room. You heard Daisy trying to sputter something out, and you could hear the footfalls coming after you. You tensed, and clenched your teeth. You really didn't want to deal with this. It had been such a good day and she could ruin everything. Just like she always did.

Before your thoughts could get any farther, there was a yelp and you heard Sans hollering at Red. You turned to look and almost froze in your tracks. Even Morgan had paused, keeping his hand on your arm as you took in the scene in front of you.

Red was sweating, his hand held out and encased in a red glow. That same red glow lit up his left eye socket, magic leaking from the side as he stared down Daisy and her friends. She had thrown herself back to avoid the bone that was pointed at her, her chest heaving. Sans had grabbed the bone in time, encasing it in his magic as Stretch pulled Red back.

“Boys?” I whispered.

“she's fuckin' askin' fer 't, 'nilla,” Red growled out. “callin' 'er names an' all that shit jus' 'cause she don't like th' company sh' keeps.”

“this is why i said you didn't need to come,” Sans ground out. His voice sounded strange, like he was trying his best to fight magic with magic. You noticed that the bone was wavering between red and blue. “we don't do this shit here.”

Red growled out something you couldn't make out. You took Morgan's hand off of you and slowly went over to where the boys were fighting with each other. You took in how Sans's magic was the same way as Red's, just blue instead of red. Magic leaked out the side of his socket and that burning blue orb turned to look at you as you approached.

“not a good time, pal,” he grunted.

“Just...hang on...”

You moved around him and stood in front of Red. He sharp teeth were gnashed together, and you watched as the orb in his eye zeroed in on you. You held your ground and didn't flinch, even though every bone in your body was screaming at you to turn tail and run. You held out a shaky hand and gave him a soft smile instead.

“Hey, buddy,” you said softly. “It's alright. Let's just get my things and we can go back and have that sleepover. We'll all sleep in that giant living room, build a fort for the boys, and have some snacks. Watch a couple of movies...” You touched his cheekbone with a soft graze of your fingers. “But I need you to stop trying to attack her and help me get things together, okay?” You stared into that frightening red orb unflinchingly. “Please, Red?”

Those last two words were spoken so softly. Morgan looked ready to jump in and snag you if he needed to and Sans and Stretch were both looking at you like you had just lost your mind. Which, maybe you did. Magic and monsters will still new to you. Not to mention, this isn't Sans. This was Red, and he was angry. You didn't know how he could be when he was angry. For all you knew, he would cut off your head and think nothing of it.

But you watched as the magic in his eye faded away, and his other eye light came back slowly. You could see when he really focused in on you and looked at Stretch, nodding. Stretch let him go and he fixed his jacket grumbling. You smiled sweetly at him before flicking him in the forehead. It hurt your fingers, but it apparently hurt him, too. He yelped, holding a hand where you flicked him.

“Stop that,” you grumbled.

You turned to look at Daisy and her friends, who had finally helped her up while eyeing the boys around you. Hell, they were even eyeing you now as they watched the change happen and the bone disappear. You glared at her while she just stared back at you, her mouth open as she tried to formulate words.

“I suggest you leave me alone while I get my things,” you murmured quietly. “If you bother me and start that shit up again, I might not stop him next time.”

Well, you would. But the look of fear that skittered across her face for a brief second was too much to pass up. You smiled down at her and ushered the boys upstairs with Morgan, who was now grinning as he held out a fist to Red.

“I like you, dude.”

Red chuckled and bumped his fist with Morgan's. You rolled your eyes and opened your room up, stepping aside to let the others in. Morgan came in first, throwing himself on your bed as the boys slowly meandered their way inside. Sans tutted as he took the seat at your desk, going over your loose notes from classes.

“your room is still a disaster,” Sans chided. “you promised paps you'd clean it.”

“Hey, I didn't promise anything,” you corrected. “I told him I would do my best.”

Red scoffed. “sounds right t' me.”

“Alright,” Morgan said, sitting up. “Where are we starting first?”

You directed to the boys what could be brought with them in that moment. A lot of the smaller things were shoved into old backpacks and satchels you kept around your room. Your expensive items were also packed, because you really didn't trust Daisy at this point. You admitted to yourself that Red had stepped over some boundaries, but you couldn't chastise him for trying to protect you.

You had them pile the bags on the bed, going over things in your room. You really only had your clothes and the the giant comforter, but you didn't really care for the blanket. You grabbed the quilt your grandfather had made you, and stuffed it in one of the bags. The bitch knew how much this meant to you, and it wouldn't be beneath her to do something to it.

Once you had everything, you went to grab a couple of the bags to throw on. But before you could even touch one, it lit up in an orange glow. Then you noticed how the others were in similar magic, even in red and blue. When you looked over at the boys, you glared. Red and Sans's right eyelights were extinguished and their left ones lit up with their magic. Stretch, however, had his left eye light extinguished, and his right one flared orange with his magic.

Strange. You thought Papyrus's did the same thing. And the way Red and Sans's were looked awfully similar, too.

Ugh, you didn't have time to deal with this.

“Alright. Let's get going. We'll get everything else tomorrow,” you sighed.

You shooed them from the room, and made your way downstairs. Stretch and Morgan were behind you talking about music again and you couldn't help but smile. It nice that Morgan was really chill with them, and he didn't seem too affected by what had happened. You passed by Daisy on your way out, and you felt the glare she was giving you through your back as you exited the house. When everyone was out, the door slammed shut, and you winced, a little smile on your face.

That was totally all worth it.

You began walking with them all silently. Even Morgan and Stretch had stopped their conversation. You noticed he had somehow managed to grab his guitar, strapped to his back as he played with the strap that kept it there. You grinned up at him.

“Thanks,” you said quietly. “I'm glad to know I'm not alone.”

Morgan scoffed, nudging you with his elbow. “Hey, it's not a problem, birdie. Shit, she's so fake, Barbie is jealous of her.”

Oh no. You watched as three pairs of eye lights turned to you, lighting up like Christmas trees. You let out a playful groan as Morgan watched you with befuddlement. You sighed as Sans was the first to speak, the grin obvious in his voice.

"her birth certificate must be an apology letter from the condom factory.”

“calling her an idiot would be an insult to the real stupid people.” Red.

“she's probably dumb enough to think cheerios are actually donut seeds.” Stretch.

Morgan was laughing the entire way back to the house, egging on the boys by throwing in his own insults. All four of them had moved ahead of you, and you watched as they shoved each other and laughed. This. This is what you took a mental picture of. One of your good friends, hanging out with the newest additions to your friend group. You gave a small smile.

“'ey, kitten!”

You snapped your head up at Red's voice. They had stopped, turning to look back at you as they smiled at you. Even Red, who was either frowning or smirking, had a genuine smile on his teeth. You grinned yourself, jogging to catch up with them and the floating bags filled with your things. You didn't even turn around to say goodbye to your home.

You were on your way there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: *thinking* i'll be fine. nothing bad is gonna happen and i won't "fell out" on anyone, like vanilla likes to call it. i'll behave myself.  
> Red: _this motherfucking ho did not just -- *totally fell's out*_


	4. How Fortunate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You build a giant fort, and you sing for the others, as well with Morgan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FORTunate? Get it? Hahahah...hah..ha...okay, I'll stop. I'm sorry.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter. It's a little short, but the chapters will be picking up length soon. I've gone from writing 5-6 pages to upward of 10-11, sooooo. Yeah.
> 
> Song in Chapter:  
> [Back Breaker - Hit the Lights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhbWlKyS05k)
> 
> Introducing:  
>  **Dancetale Sans: Serif**  
>  **Dancetale Papyrus: Tango**
> 
> Enjoy! **< 3**

When you managed to get in the house, Blueberry tackled you, squeezing you around your middle. You laughed and managed to peel him off of you, letting him know everything had gone good. The boys left, taking your things to your room and you followed. Morgan had been captured by the Magnificent Blueberry and the Great Papyrus. You smiled as he followed them into the living room, shooting you a wink.

When you entered your room, Red was already pulling out some of the things he'd packed and hadn't been able to see. You rolled your eyes and snatched the bag out of his hands.

“hey!”

“Stop being nosy!”

“but we don't even have noses!”

Goddamnit, again?

You glared at him, and he glared back before he grinned. When you looked to where he was looking, you growled low in your throat. Sans and Stretch were doing the same thing Red had just been doing. They dug through the bags, pulling things out to inspect them. During your glaring, Red had snagged back the bag he was looking through.

“Guys, seriously?”

“sorry, honey,” Stretch said, not sounding sorry at all. “curiosity and all of that.”

“Look, we can do this tomorrow,” you said, sounding tired. “We need to go back downstairs and get that fort started for the boys.”

Red snorted, still rummaging through his bag of choice. “yeah, you c'n go do that – stars, woman, what th' fuck.”

You snatched the bag from him again and you went over to Sans and Stretch, doing the same thing to them. They complained as you went to the closet and stuffed the bags in there with the rest of them. You took one and pulled out the quilt and closed everything up before turning to the boys and pointing at the door.

“Now.”

They grumbled but complied, piling out of the room like scorned children. You rolled your eyes and trailed after them, heading back down the stairs and pausing by a linen closet. Red opened it up and Stretch used his magic to bring everything they needed down. You sighed. These guys were just as bad as Sans.

Once everything had been gotten, you made your way down to the first floor, where Papyrus was moving from the living room to the dining room excitedly. When he saw all of you, he paused and swooped you up in a giant hug.

“Papy!”

“I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALRIGHT!” he crowed happily. “THIS NEW HUMAN FRIEND YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU HAS REGALED US WITH HOW AMAZING AND AWESOME YOU ARE! WHICH YOU GOT FROM SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH ME.”

You chuckled, patting him on his back. “You got that right. Now can we put me down?”

He did so happily. He went back to what he was doing, rushing into the kitchen with lightning speed. You smiled after him and jogged into the living room, where everyone had converged. There were even two more skeletons you hadn't met yet.

One of them, very Papyrus like, was dressed in some kind of nice looking outfit. He had on a white collared shirt with the first two buttons undone, and there was an orange handkerchief in his breast pocket. He had on black, loose fitting pants and a red sash around his waist.

The other one, who again looked strangely liked Sans, wore almost the exact same thing. He had on the same blue hoodie, if only a little darker, and there was a hat on top of his head. His hood was pulled up and you caught sight of fingerless gloves. Like Sans, he also wore a white shirt, but he had on black jogging pants and white trainers that were tied and tucked into the tongue of his shoes.

They both turned to face you when you entered the room. Sans came to stand beside you, throwing an arm around your shoulders as he motioned to the new skeletons in front of you. He wore an easy smile, so they must be nice...

“sorry, forgot these guys were out at dance practice today,” he chuckled. “this here is serif, and his brother is tango.”

“SO YOU WERE THE HUMAN OUR COUSIN WAS SO QUICK TO HELP,” Tango said. You winced in shock. Wow. Like Papayrus, Edge and Blueberry, he was just as loud. Christ on a cracker... “I'M SORRY WE WERE NOT HERE TO GREET YOU HERE EARLIER. MY BROTHER AND I GO TO DANCE PRACTICE EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY.”

“yeah, sorry 'bout that,” Serif muttered. He looked over at you and seemed to let his gaze linger on your arms and legs. “you dance.”

It wasn't a question. You blinked and smiled a little, stepping away from Sans and holding out your arms as you placed one foot in front of the other. Then took a running start and jumped in the air. You caught the gasps around you, but Serif caught you just in time, holding you up by your waist as one of your legs moved inward, bending at the knee and the other was straight out, along with your arms.

He brought you down and took your hand, twirling you so you spun away and then brought you back in for a dip. His grin was strained, but even you could tell he was impressed as he lifted you back up and let go of you.

“I took a couple of years in ballet,” you admitted. “I hated it, so I stopped it. I ended up learning other forms of dancing, but, my mom decided it wasn't in the cards.” You shrugged.

Serif nodded before turning back to his brother. “let's go get changed; we can join em if ya want.”

“OH I WOULD JUST LOVE THAT, BROTHER!”

They disappeared and Morgan grabbed your attention.

“I never knew you could dance!” he admonished. “Why didn't you ever tell me?”

“Because I didn't want to, obviously.”

You bickered back and forth while the others started getting the giant blanket fort ready. And you meant this thing was _huge_. It was taking up at least more than half of the living room. They had even managed to finagle it to where the blankets and sheets went over the TV to include that in the tent. The couches and tables had all been moved, too.

When Serif and Tango came back down, they even started helping. Well...more like Tango joined in helping and Serif was doing the lazier things with Sans and the others. You shook your head slightly as Edge took you by the waist and lifted you to pin one of the sheets up on the wall.

When everything was done, you took a few steps back with your new housemates and Morgan. Said human flung his arm around your shoulders, and you both missed the envious looks from the others. Over half of the living room was covered in blankets and sheets, and the inside was bursting with pillows and even more blankets. At one point, you were pretty sure you had run out until one of the guys came back carrying a couple more bed sets that hadn't been there before.

“This is perfect!” you cried. “Look at this! There'll be enough room for all of us, and even extra room so we don't end up sitting on top of each other.”

“'ll let'cha sit on top'a me – ow!”

You looked over to see Red rubbing his skull and Edge pulling his hand back to cross his arms again. They silently glared at each other before Red gave in and looked away. Was that a whimper you just heard?

You shook it off and pulled your phone out of your pocket. When you opened the camera, the others started groaning and shaking their heads.

“not happening, buddy.”

“there's no way.”

“BAD HUMAN.”

“And why not?” you asked, miffed. “Just one. All of us in front of the tent. My first night in my new home! Memories, goddamnit!”

It took a few more minutes to convince them, but in the end they all agreed. Everyone opted for Edge to take the picture since he was the tallest out of all of them. When the picture was taken, you backed out of the app and turned your phone off, being the first one to dive into the fort. Your laughter filled the air as Papyrus and Blueberry charged in right behind you. Even Morgan did his Tarzan yell as he came in after you three.

The others slowly made their way inside, letting the flap fall closed behind them. It was spacious in the little place. The boys had used their magic to try and get the sheets and blankets as high as they could so the taller skeletons didn't have to bend over to move around. There were dozens of pillows that lined the floor along with even more blankets. All in all, this was the comfiest looking tent you'd seen yet.

You sat up and looked around as the others took seats in different places. Sans sat closest to you, with Red taking up your other side. Papyrus, Blueberry, Edge and Tango all went to go grab snacks and other types of foods while you and the others got situated in the tent. Morgan had brought his guitar inside and started strumming a little. When you recognized the song he was strumming, you laughed and sang along with him.

_“I've been carving down the days on my bedroom door._

_Teeth are all but gum,_

_Takin' a beating from grinding when I'm sleeping._

_I busted out the boards on my window sill,_

_Nailed shut to keep me here I'm dying._

_Nothing can stop me from trying_

_To claw my way out this grave,_

_Before I decay I will make a clean break_

_“And burn it down._

_I'll burn this town behind me and run until I can't breathe._

_I'm breaking out,_

_I'll bury all my mistakes and rebuild until my back breaks.”_

The harmony the two of you had struck up was captivating your audience. You grinned as they all switched their eye lights from one person to the next. Sans had scooted a little closer and seemed to lean into you. Serif was even coming closer, his hood still pulled up over his head as he tried to make it look like that he wasn't doing it. You smiled wide and began tapping out the drums rhythms on your lap.

_“Consider them convinced I'm a lunatic._

_Eyes are wide and crazed,_

_I'm feeling hell bent on wreaking havoc._

_I sent a stack of bricks thorough the neighbors house,_

_Watch them as they spill into their yards,_

_They don't know how lucky they are._

_They swat the vultures aside and swear they're alive_

_But just look in their eyes._

_"Burn it down._

_I'll burn this town behind me and run until I can't breathe._

_I'm breaking out,_

_I'll bury all my mistakes and rebuild until my back breaks down.”_

By this time, the others had come back in. They set down the bowls and cups of snacks and drinks as they made their way into the fort, their attention rapt on you. Even Morgan was watching you an amused smile as he and you harmonized together. You held a hand to your chest as the next part of the song hit.

_“On my grave stone for all to see it reads_

_'I took this city out at the knees' at least._

_On your grave stone,_

_Covered in leaves they'll read nothing more than_

_'Rest In', 'Rest In Peace'._

_**(Morgan)** (nothing more than)_

_**(Morgan)** (nothing more than)_

_**(Morgan)** (nothing more than)_

_**(Morgan)** (nothing more than)_

_And burn it down._

_I'll burn this town behind me and run until I can't breathe._

_Maybe I'm breaking out,_

_I'll bury all my mistakes and rebuild until my back breaks down._

_**(You)** Down_

_**(Morgan)** (rebuild until my back breaks)_

_( **Morgan)** Rebuild until my back breaks_

_**(Both)** Until my back breaks.”_

After you finally released the long note, you dropped your head and giggled. The giggles turned into laughter after Papyrus let out a loud noise that sounded like praise and Morgan gave you a whoop of approval. Red ruffled your hair and you let out a loud indignant noise as you attempted to swat his hands away.

“THAT WAS AMAZING!” Blueberry said, stars back in his sockets. “YOU SING SO WONDERFULLY, HUMAN (Y/N).”

You chuckled. “Thanks.”

Everyone gathered around the bowls and trays they had brought in with them. There was popcorn and chips. There was even some salsa and nacho cheese. There was some Chex Mix and you noticed there was even pub mix that the boys went to town on. There were even cheese balls! Oh, you loved those things.

You made a move for one when a hand caught yours. You looked over to see that Serif had caught your hand, but was looking away from you. There was a deep indigo blush across his nasal ridge and you tilted your head at him.

“What's up?”

“ah...nothing. just...tango wanted to know if you'd like to come with us on saturday to go to class.”

You grinned. “I'd love to! If that's alright with you as well.”

He looked at you then, and his brow bones had raised ever so slightly. “why? d'ya think i'm not okay with it?”

“Nope.”

He let out a small chuckle and released your wrist so you could grab your cheese ball. “sorry if i came off like that. i'd like for you to join us, too.” He tapped a beat in his head out on his pant leg. “for someone who hasn't danced in a while, you still know a lot.”

“Hm. I only danced for a couple of years. But sometimes I'll do it when I'm alone, or when I'm really stressed out and just need to get the emotion out."

“gross. don't let th' ballerina taint ya like that.”

You looked over at Red who was wrist deep in one of the bowls of Chex Mix. You glared at him even as you saw Serif shrink back a little. You pointed your finger at him.

“Be nice,” you snapped.

Red just rolled his eye lights and turned back to the snacks at hand. When you looked back at Serif, he was giving you a little smile and you smiled back at him.

After another couple of minutes, the boys started arguing about what movie to watch. Red and Edge wanted horror movies, which frightened little Blueberry and Papyrus to no end. They clung to you like a lifeline as the others ran through movie ideas. Action, comedy, musicals, fantasy, drama, westerns. The list dragged on and you were bouncing your head between the boys faster than they were giving out ideas.

You groaned and waved your hands through the air. “Quiet,” you muttered. “First off, no horror movies. Next, you guys can't even get along half the time let alone pick a single genre. And you have entire collection!” You frantically pointed to the collection sitting in the middle of all the skeletons. “Just how many movies do you guys have?”

“prob'ly about a hundred,” Stretch said, chewing on a toothpick.

“Then pick a number one through a hundred,” you sighed. “All of you.”

“five.” Sans.

“sixty-nine.” Red, of course.

“forty-two.” Stretch.

“twenty-three.” Serif.

“SEVENTY-TWO.” Edge.

“THIRTY-FOUR.” Papyrus.

“NINTY-FIVE!” Tango.

“EIGHTY.” Blueberry.

You pointed at Stretch. “You were the closest. The number was fifty.”

The others groaned, except for the loudest of the bunch. Morgan, who had taken up residence beside you, popped a cheese ball in his mouth and chuckled as Stretch took one of the DVDs and popped into the DVD player. He came sauntering back over with a grin as the name of the movie popped up on the screen of the giant TV.

“The Princess Bride?” you said excitedly. “Excellent!”

You moved around so that you and the boys were all around each other. There was a blanket thrown over your shoulders and you looked to see Stretch grinning down at you. You smiled back at him and looked at the screen again as the movie began to play.

Somewhere along the line, you had been tucked under Stretch's arm, and Red was using your left leg as a pillow and Serif using the right. Morgan had moved so he could be beside the excitable skeletons and quietly talked to them about the happenings in the movie that they didn't understand. Edge had scooted closer, and Sans took up your other side. Everyone was watching the movie happily, and you couldn't have asked for a better first night in your new home.

Even Morgan seemed to be nodding off as the movie rolled. Papyrus covered him with one of the blankets and proceeded to pass out himself five minutes later, Blueberry not long after that. Even Edge seemed to be knocked out cold. Tango had curled up beside Blueberry, snoring softly.

You started dozing yourself, and when you fell asleep, Buttercup had finally gotten into the arms of her lover. And everything was right in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about Lolli: I used to dance all the time. Until my most recent ex told me I was too fat. Guess who still dances anyway? Even though I'm not as confident. xD
> 
> Hope you enjoyed and I will see you all next week!


	5. Breakfast Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys wake up to breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T_T Y'all making me cry. Only five chapters into this and a little over 800 hits? And almost 150 kudos? Y'all are so sweet and kind and wonderful and I just want to hug you all. Fuck. Y'all so amazing.
> 
> So I played the Sims 2 all night last night, otherwise this would have been up sooner. I'm not sorry and I have no regrets. xD It is now 11:30 in the morning.
> 
> With that, here is your chapter, and I will see y'all next week. <3
> 
> ENJOY! <33

You woke up the next morning under a pile of bones. You had ended up laying down on your back, or maybe one of the boys had shifted you so you were like that. Stretch was still to your left, and he was partially curled into you, his head resting on your shoulder and the top of his skull tucked under your ear.

Sans was still on your right, and he had commandeered your chest, a blue clad arm wrapped around your stomach as he snored softly. Red was still plastered by your leg, having snagged a pillow to rest against your flesh. He was curled up in a small ball and had his fluffy hood pulled up over his head.

Serif was curled up almost the same way, except one of his arms was wrapped around your thigh, his gloved hand slightly fisted. The only difference between him and the others is he looked almost troubled in his sleep. You sleepily reached out to rub a fingertip lightly over his skull, watching as the look almost melted away. You smiled tiredly as you went to move.

Oh, wait.

You were literally trapped in a bone pile.

You huffed as quietly as you could, your eyes looking around the fort. They had used one of the thicker blankets to block out the sun that came in through the windows in the daytime, but there was still light cast from said offending ball of light. You could see Morgan and Blueberry nestled against one of the far walls. Tango and Papyrus had turned away from each other, both snoring. Edge was...awake.

He was idly flipping through a book, his eye lights roaming over the pages he read. He seemed kinda peaceful like this, and you could help but notice as his expression changed. He must be reading a really weird book for that face.

“Morning.”

He startled a little, his lights flicking over to you. You gave him a sleepy smile and used the only free hand you had to wave at the skeletons surrounding you. He seemed to get the hint and put his book down, slowly helping you move the skeletons into better sleeping positions and using actual pillows.

When you were finally free, you quickly exited the fort to go find a bathroom. Note to self, sweet tea before bed is never a good idea. Once you finished up with that, you came back into the living room. Nothing stirred in the tent, so you made your way to the kitchen, where the smell of coffee was strong in the air. You almost moaned at the smell.

You came up beside him and he handed you a cup. You blinked a couple of times before you shrugged it off and grabbed yourself a cup, doctoring the hell out of it before taking a small sip. This time, you do moan. Freaking perfect. You felt the skeleton stiffen beside you, but didn't say anything.

“How did you sleep?” you asked softly.

“JUST FINE,” he said, taking his own cup of coffee. He began to leave the room and turned to face you before he added, “I HAD FUN LAST NIGHT.”

He sounded so begrudging, but when you opened your mouth to say something, he turned and left, leaving the downstairs entirely as he went toward the stairs. You sighed as you leaned against the counter, happily drinking your coffee.

But he was right. It was fun last night. The others even seemed to have fun just building the giant fort. Maybe you'd talk to Sans about making it a once a month kind of thing, this way Blueberry and Papyrus could have their fort, and wouldn't bother the others about it too much. Maybe next time you could even play the stupid games you knew were customary at sleepovers like that.

The thought made you smile as you wandered over to the fridge. Maybe you could wake the others up with a good breakfast to start the day. It was moving day, after all, and you were excited to see what the day could bring.

You grabbed out eggs, and you found some bacon hiding away in the back. There was a lot of it, too. You chuckled and closed the fridge before rummaging through the cabinets, pulling out a few potatoes that seemed decent sized. You hummed and went back to the fridge. Ah, there it was. You couldn't have a good Southern style breakfast without biscuits and sausage gravy. You grinned to yourself as you moved to put everything on the counter.

You moved around, trying to find the spices and when you found them, you almost felt your eyes bug out of your head. Just how much honey does one home need? You huffed out a small laugh as you recalled Stretch nursing a bottle of honey during your performance for them last night and grabbed what you needed. You clicked your tongue absently, another old habit rearing its head.

You smiled to yourself as you rummaged around for the pots and pans, trying your best to not make too much noise. You hummed to yourself quietly as you began to cut things up and mix things together, putting them in their appropriate places before turning to look over your shoulder. No one had stirred, and there was no noise in the entire house.

When you managed to get everything together and into serving dishes, you set the table, making sure to include a pot of hot water with some tea bags you found in the cupboard. You put out a couple of cups, even some mugs. You knew Sans loved his coffee.

When everything was set up, you quietly snuck back into the fort, watching the sleeping skeletons and human. You smiled a little bit and began to walk around, waking each one of them up. By the time you got to Serif, the others were already stirring from trying to wake up the hardest of the skeletons. You laughed as Serif looked at you with bleary eyes before mumbling something about coming back later. You shook him until he groaned and swatted your hand away, slowly sitting up.

“WHAT'S THAT SMELL?” Tango asked, starting to stand.

“Oh, I made breakfast for everyone.”

It was like you had just announced the Doctor in Doctor Who was visiting and the Tardis was in the front yard. They all stared at you with wide eyes before everyone was scrambling to get up and get out of the fort. You laughed again, utter confusion written all over your face as even Sans kicked it into high gear. Morgan slowly came up beside you, his ponytail messed up from sleeping.

“I don't think I've ever seen Sans move that fast,” he muttered to you as you both left the fort. “Please tell me there's coffee.”

“Of course.”

“Thank the gods.”

Everyone had taken their seats . Papyrus and Tango had saved a seat between them for Morgan, and you smiled as he plopped himself down, taking the pot of coffee and pouring in as much as he could into the mug. Both the skeletons started berating him on his habits, but he took it in stride. You could see that both Sans and Serif were watching him, but they both looked happy he was playing along with their brothers.

You sat beside Red and Sans. As everyone began to help themselves, you saw Red tapping away on his phone before he put it back in his pocket. You took notice of things they avoided, and the things they got the most of. The biscuits and gravy were definitely a huge hit, and you chuckled as you watched Stretch pour a large ladle full of the gravy over everything on his plate.

You finally helped yourself as Edge came in, taking his seat at the head of the table. He wordlessly gathered his food on his plate, taking a couple of extra biscuits that he didn't smother in the sausage gravy, but with butter. He poured himself a cup of coffee as well before he dug in with the rest of them.

You waited a moment to see their reactions. They all looked like they had found heaven, minus Morgan who was used to you cooking like this on occasion. It was one of the few ways you two had bonded when Daisy had introduced him to you.

“THIS IS AMAZING,” Blueberry said excitedly. “NEXT TIME CAN WE DO PANCAKES OR WAFFLES? OH, AND SOME FRUIT!” He turned his glare to Sans, Serif, Red and then his own brother. “THEY DON'T EAT ENOUGH OF THAT.”

You chuckled. “Sure, Blue.”

“THIS IS DECENT.”

You rolled your eyes, even as the others got on Edge about your cooking. You still smiled as you looked over at him. He had been looking right back at you, but when you caught him, his face flushed a dark orange and he looked away, huffing a little.

You heard Morgan chuckle as he took a bite of his own food. You turned to look at him, and he pointed his fork at you.

“I approve.”

You snorted out a laugh, taking a bite of your food. “Fuck off,” you said around a mouthful of egg.

“Maybe if you'd let me.”

“Never gonna happen.”

The boys were laughing at your exchange. As you and Morgan continued back and forth, the food depleted, and drinks were still being had. They still nursed their mugs of coffee or tea, or cradled their glasses of water or milk. You also noted who drank what.

“So what are the plans for the day?” Morgan asked.

“Well, I need to go grab the rest of my things from the house,” you said thoughtfully. “But after that, nothing. I don't have classes on Fridays. And they didn't schedule me for work, either.”

“could just have a lazy day.” You snapped your gaze over to Sans. “You know I can't do that. Lazy days aren't my thing, unlike you.”

“you're really _breakin' my heart_ over here,” Sans sighed, placing a hand over his ribcage.

“Is it _getting under your skin_?” you quipped.

“now you're just _ribbing_ me.”

A chorus of “NYEH”, “MWEH”, AND “NYAH” filled the air as Tango, Papyrus, Blueberry and Edge all groaned. You grinned and watched as the others chuckled. Even Morgan rolled his eyes as he finished off his coffee. The others around you started gathering their plates and dishes together, stacking things on top of each other. When you went to help, your hands were swatted away.

You glared at the offender. Serif didn't say anything as he continued to gather your things and swatting your hand away whenever you tried to help. You continued to huff as you were ushered from the dining room by Stretch, who slung an arm around your shoulders as he led you into the living room and back into the fort.

He plopped you down on a mound of pillows and you looked at him, watching as he left again. There was a small orange glow for a moment in front of the tent before you could put two and two together. You scrambled over to the opened and tried opening it...

Only to find he had somehow managed to lock you in.

He locked you in a _sheet and blanket fort_.

“What the hell?”

“magic.”

His chuckle from the other side was teasing as he moved away, his shadow fading as he walked back into the kitchen. You groaned and went back to your mound of pillows, sitting down hard and crossing your arms like a petulant child. You could hear the clanging of pots and pans and the sounds of dishes being done in the kitchen along with talking and some laughter.

It didn't even occur to you that they didn't lock Morgan up in here with you until you heard his laughter echoing in the house. The traitor!

You leaned against the pillows and stared up at the top of the fort, the sunlight peeking through the cracks in the blankets and sheets. Even with the the almost quiet din in the kitchen, you could think clearly and sighed as you closed your eyes.

You were going to live with a bunch of skeletons. They were already a family, and there was even one or two more out there. You blew out a breath as your thoughts raced. Could you do this? Live in a house full of skeleton monsters that liked to pun and not use their inside voices?

Hell yeah, you could.

You didn't even realize you were slowly falling asleep, your eyes closing as you turned onto your side.

\--

Stretch made his way back into the living room with Red and Sans. When he removed the magic from the fort, they went inside and they all paused. You were passed out, curled up against the mound of pillows he'd placed you against. Blonde hair cascaded around your face and your eyelashes fluttered against your cheek. Your lips were parted slightly, your small breaths moving the hair around your face.

Stretch couldn't help but admire you. When Classic had said something about having a human move into their home, everyone had been on guard. Papyrus and Sans had both spoken on your behalf, and everyone had just went along with it. Except Edge.

But Edge never goes along with anything these days.

The three of them just stood there, staring at you. After a moment, they all looked at each other and nodded, backing out of the fort and heading back into the dining room where all of the others were gathered. Even Morgan, who was getting ready to head out the door.

“BUT CAN'T YOU STAY LONGER?” Blueberry asked sadly.

“Sorry, little dude,” Morgan said, sighing. “I got classes today. They don't start for a while, but I still have to go home and grab my things. Is my guitar still in the fort with (Y/n)?”

Red nodded. “yeah, but she's sleepin'. didn't want t' disturb 'er.”

Morgan nodded. “I'll come 'round later for it, then. Tell her I said bye, alright?”

As he left, waving one last time at Blueberry, Papyrus and Tango, Sans sat in the chair at the head of the dining room table. Stretch sat beside him and Red on his other side. Serif plunked down tiredly in the chair by Stretch, but the other three could tell he actually look well rested for the first time since they've been in this timeline.

None of them spoke as they waited for their brothers to head up the stairs to go work on puzzles. Or, in Edge's case, traps. When they were sure their brothers were in one of the rooms, Sans blew out a breath and clunked his head onto the table.

“so tell me again how we're s'posed t' tell th' others 'bout 'er 'fore t'morrow?” Red snapped now, his eye lights flashing. “they'll all be 'ere, an' i c'n already tell fuckin' black's gonna be an issue.”

“they're coming here tomorrow _to_ meet her,” Serif said, rolling his eye lights. “there's no need to warn them beforehand. that could just put the other us's on edge.”

Stretch nodded. “true. but i do worry about axe and black the most.”

Their names made Sans groan into the table again, slapping a hand against the wood. “axe already knows what she looks like; he took a field trip to one of her classes yesterday.”

“he did what?” Serif demanded. “why didn't anyone keep an eye on him?”

“i was at work,” Sans growled. “ask these two.”

Neither of the other two spoke, so Serif just growled and pulled his hat lower over his sockets. The frustration was growing. And there was the small issue of you, sleeping so soundly in the other room. Stretch noticed the way his classical counterpart stared at you. Hell, he was sure he stared the same way.

He felt it the night that you sang to them. The way your voice carried over his bones made him shiver. If he'd had skin, there would have definitely been goosebumps. You hand moving in the air, or pressed against your chest as you hit the higher notes.

Then there was last night. Every eye light had been on you as you sang to your heart's content. The way your eyes sparkled and how you carried the beat through not only your hands, but your voice as well. You and Morgan had harmonized perfectly, and it took everything in him not to kiss you stupid once you had stopped.

He shook himself and sighed, leaning back in his chair. “it's best we do it this way. somethin' tells me if they were to find her here, when none of us were, it could end bad. 'specially with blackberry involved.”

All four of them shared a shudder.

“so then who's all comin'?” Red asked.

After they went through a list of names, Red stood and left, phone to his metaphorical ear. Stretch knew he was talking to one of the brother duos that had decided not to come, and it was one of the ones he spent a lot of time with. Stretch rolled his eyes as Sans finally lifted his head. The skeleton looked worn out, but much like Serif, looked plenty well rested.

He leaned back in his seat and looked over at Sans. “so who's gonna go with her this time?”

“go where?”

“back to her house,” Sans sighed. “her old house. her roommate kicked her out. didn't say why, but i'm guessing it's because of her hanging around with me. sometimes alphys and undyne. monsters in general.”

“i thought that guy was her roommate?” Serif asked.

While Stretch and Sans filled him on things, Stretch heard small noises coming from the living room. He held up a hand to stop the talking and all of them listened in. Yeah, there was something moving around in there. He got up and went to go check it out himself.

Red had paused by the living room door and they both stared into the living room as they heard you moving around. There was an audible sigh before things got quiet again. They looked at each other before they went back to what they were doing. When Stretch got back into the dining room, Serif looked absolutely livid.

“the fuck is wrong with her?” he grumbled. “asgore's beard, humans are terrible creatures.”

“except for her.”

The way Sans said it made the other two to look at him. He was staring out one of the large windows in the dining room and there was a far away look on his face. His eye lights had dimmed, and there was a small smile forming on his teeth. Stretch couldn't help but wonder what he was remembering to make him smile like that.

Honestly, he'd been a little peeved Classic always got to go out with you. He'd always been able to get away from the chaos of the house, of the other skeletons that had been pulled through the machine. Away from said machine.

Now with you living here, he couldn't have that luxury, and Stretch was going to make sure he got plenty of time with you.

\--

“hey, kiddo. wake up.”

You mumbled something, but you turned away from whoever it was that was trying to shake you. You pulled the blanket closer to your chin as you tried to burrow deeper into the warmth. You took in a deep breath, just about to drift back into whatever dream you were having...

When the blanket was violently pulled off of you.

You let out a shriek and sat up, eyes wide and hair frazzled. You looked around and heard someone laughing, turning toward the noise. Red was doubled over, arms crossed over where his stomach would be. There were little red tinted tears in the corners of his sockets as you glared over at him.

When he noticed, he was wheezing and shaking his head. Not him. When you looked around again, you saw Serif and Sans struggling to put the movies away properly. They had turned when they heard Red laughing loudly once more, but shook their heads at you as they went back to what they were doing.

Then you saw Stretch, holding the blanket in his hands, looking smug. You growled and threw a pillow at him, which he simply sidestepped before it could hit him. But now you were mad. You continued throwing the pillows that surrounded you, whipping some of them hard enough to whistle through the air.

Red was still laughing, harder now as you continued your assault. Finally, sick and tired of his cackles, you whirled on your ass and whipped a pillow for him, smacking him square in the face. His laughter stopped, which made Sans and Serif both look over and break out into their own fits of laughter as the pillow flopped to the ground.

Red's eye lights were mere pricks in his sockets from shock before he looked at you, grinning. His gold tooth glinted in the light that filtered through a crack in your fortress. Your eyes went wide, now fully awake and aware of what you had just done. You held your hands up, going to stand up on your feet as you tried to placate him.

“Ah, hey, buddy,” you said, your voice slightly raspy. Was that a rattle of bones? Nah, must have just been your imagination. “I was...that...it was a joke, you know?”

He picked up the pillow you had thrown at him, and played with it, flipping it through the air. There was an amused smile on his face as he watched you, flipping the pillow around in his hands. He didn't say anything and you stopped backing up, just keeping your hands in the air. He sent you a wink before he just...vanished.

Where...how....

“boo.”

You screeched as a pillow attacked your back, sending you sprawling into a cloud of white and fluffy padding. You whirled and saw Red laughing again, Stretch chuckling beside him as they high fived each other. You stared, slack jawed, as they each grabbed a pillow and looked at you.

“Boys, no!”

“PROTECT THE MAIDEN!”

You were lifted in the air suddenly as orange colored bones flew by you. The boys grunted as they dodged out of the way and you looked over to see Blueberry and Tango laughing as they shot at the two with their bones. Stretch and Red were grinning now and you looked up to see Papyrus holding you close to his sternum, a bright smile on his face.

“ARE YOU OKAY?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I'm alright. These assholes got me.”

“PAPY, STOP TELEPORTING.”

Papy? Teleporting? You had more than one question now, but they left your mind as Red appeared in front of you and Papyrus, grinning and holding a pillow over his head. You yelped as Papyrus managed to move just in time to avoid it. You felt the wind from it as he swung down, and you felt the hair around your face fly around.

You squealed with laughter as Papyrus then turned and ran, his long legs breaking you both out of the fort and he made a sharp left toward the stairs. There were shouts behind you, and you clung to your friend's shirt as you jostled in his grip.

“i think they went upstairs!”

“check paps's room!”

You could hear the excitement in all of their voices as they raced up the stairs for you. You turned your head to look over Papyrus's shoulder as Blueberry and Tango were doing their best to fend off the stampeding boys. Even Sans and Serif had joined in.

You still didn't see Edge though, and part of you felt sad at this. You had hoped maybe he would want to join in, but you shook it off as Sans appeared right in front of you. Papyrus let out a “NYEH!” of surprise as he slid to a stop, narrowly missing his brother as Sans swung his pillow.

You laughed as he got you out of Papyrus's arms, catching you just before you hit the ground. You were gasping for breath and held your hands up to the others as they gathered around, all of them grinning like fools.

But you were pretty sure you were, too.

Sans set you on the ground and you fell to the floor, weak in the knees. Your back slid against the wall as you went down, and you finally took in a deep enough breath. When you looked around you, all the of the boys were looking at you happily.

“What a way to wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stretch: holy shit, she's an angel.  
> Reader: I made breakfassstttt :)  
> Stretch: *heavy breathing* i love you.


	6. Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head out with boys for dinner  
> You go to work  
> You dance with Tango and Serif  
> You meet a new skeleboy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are gonna make me _**cry**_. How does this trash have so many kudos and hits and bookmarks already?! I just...I can't...you guysssss T_T
> 
> I'm SOBBING over this. xD 
> 
> You are all amazing, and I can't thank you enough for choosing to read this far. You're all so amazing and wonderful and such precious beans. So you guys are now my precious beans. <3
> 
> New skeleboy! Introducing...  
>  **Horrortale Sans: Axe**
> 
> Song in chapter:  
> [California Love - Tupac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBTdfAkqGU)
> 
> Grew up on his stuff, and he's still one of my favorites. (:
> 
> Enjoy!

Serif and Stretch went with you to get your things from Daisy. When you got to the house, Cayden opened the door and let you in. When he saw the skeletons behind you, he turned to look at you before you chuckled. When introductions were made, Cayden kept his eyes on them as you all went upstairs. The boys moved around in your closet as you dealt with the stuff in your dresser.

Cayden stayed around and talked to the boys while you packed up. You heard the front door open and heard Daisy's humming coming from downstairs. You felt yourself tense as footsteps came up the stairs and you stared at the door hard as it swung open, revealing a shocked Daisy.

You glared at her as she took a step backward. Serif and Stretch came out of your closet to see what was up and Stretch grunted, his own eye sockets narrowing. Serif seemed to know who she was, and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her from underneath his hat. Cayden looked just as shocked as her, his mouth floundering open for a minute before he spoke.

“Daisy, what are you doing in (Y/n)'s room?” he asked.

“Uh. Well, I was just...” She seemed a loss for words until you huffed and rolled your eyes. She now glared back at you. “I was about to come get this room ready for somebody else.”

“Yeah, well, I still have stuff in here, and I don't trust you,” you said bluntly, throwing her off. You had never really spoken against her, but you just didn't care anymore. “I'm getting all of my stuff out of here today anyway. Come back later and deal with it.”

You heard Serif's chuckle and watched as Daisy's glare shot to him. It didn't even seem to affect him as he stood there, arms still crossed. It even looked like he was meeting her gaze, tilting his head back and to the side. Like he was staring her down. The thought made you hold back giggles.

He was so shy around you last night. Even when he asked about you coming to dance with him and his brother. And now here he was, acting like a badass just to back you up.

“Got something to say, _monster_?” she snarled at him.

Serif just shrugged, his grin staying in place. “not really, no. just waiting for you to make a really bad move...” His eye lights blinked out for only a second, but you caught it. “cause then we can _really_ have a good time.”

She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat as she turned and stormed out of the room. After a few seconds, there was the slam of a door and Cayden hooted with laughter. You turned to look at him as he shook his head.

“Man, she is going to trash this room when she gets back,” he chuckled. “Ah, I'm gonna miss you, (Y/n).”

You smiled at him, turning to rummage through your drawers again. “I'm gonna miss living with you, too, Cay.”

He sighed, but you missed the sad look in his eyes as he stared at you. But the skeletons didn't, and the looked at each other as they went back and started pulling things from your closet, including the suitcase your father had bought for you when you had left home. They put it on your bed and all of you began to throw things into it. You moved around the room, grabbing the other knick knacks you had left behind and threw them in there, too. When you looked around the room one more time, you nodded to yourself.

“Everything is good,” you said. “Let's get home.”

You really liked the way that sounded.

\--

Back at home, you sat in your new room. It was quiet up on the third floor. You could hear the faintest bit of noise from the first floor, and there was a creaking of sorts from the second. But other than that? There was next to nothing. It was almost totally silent. And while you usually hated the silence...

It was really nice.

You were playing some music from your phone as you dragged out the bags from your closet and placed everything on your bed. You opened the suitcase and each bag before blowing out a breath. This is where the real fun began.

You spent an hour just sorting through the clothes that would go in the drawers and the ones that would be hung up. There were already hangers in the closet, thankfully, so you spent the next twenty minutes hanging up your clothes before spending another thirty putting everything in the appropriate drawer. Then came all of your knick knacks.

That alone took you at least two hours, trying to find the best placed for your Funko Pops and your other random items. You muttered to yourself when something didn't seem to fit right and you sighed when they finally did.

By the time you were done, it was really starting to feel like your own space. All you needed was your grandfather's quilt at the head of the bed with you, and everything would be absolutely perfect. You looked at your phone, turning off your music as you groaned. It was getting to the point where you would at least have to lay down soon. You had the opening shift tomorrow with your manager. Which meant the four am shift.

Fuck.

You put your phone in your pocket and headed down to the first floor, swinging your way into the kitchen. Which had you almost toppling headfirst into Edge.

“Hey!” you said brightly. “Where were you this morning?”

“I WAS NOT FEELING WELL, SO I KEPT TO MY ROOM MOST OF THE DAY,” he said loudly, looking away from you. “PLUS, CHILDISH GAMES AS SUCH ARE FAR BENEATH SOMEONE AS GREAT AND TERRIBLE AS I.”

You pouted as he moved around you. He had seemed pretty cool last night and this morning. What the hell had crawled up his ass? Or was this how he normally was?

You sighed and went into the kitchen, where Sans was digging around in the fridge. Papyrus and Blueberry were looking over a book of some sort and none of them noticed you come in. You smiled at them before you announced your presence. All of them turned to look at you and Blueberry came bounding over, large stars back in his sockets.

“CAN WE HAVE A SLUMER PARTY TONIGHT, HUMAN FRIEND?” he asked. “I REALLY ENJOYED THE ONE LAST NIGHT, BUT MAYBE JUST YOU AND I?”

There was a strange grinding noise and you looked around, but it didn't seem like anything in here would make that kind of noise. What you didn't see was the large hand print on the handle of the fridge's door from Sans gripping it too hard.

You looked back to Blueberry. “Not tonight, buddy. I have to get some sleep for work tomorrow. I have to be up super early.”

He frowned for a minute, little cyan tinted tears forming the corners of his sockets. You felt your heart strings being pulled before Stretch came into the room, hoisting his brother up and placing him on his shoulder. Blueberry laughed, causing you to smile.

“don't give her shit, bro. she'll hang out with us again when can. she lives here now, remember?” he said. “maybe another time, yeah?”

“OKAY!”

With the now placated Blueberry, Sans came over to you and smiled. You noticed his smile was tight, but didn't comment on it. You knew from experience that he would either change the subject or shrug it off. So, instead you flung an arm around his shoulders.

“So, got anything in here that would make for a fast dinner so I can go to bed?” you asked.

Sans chuckled, holding a finger to his teeth as he glanced a look over at his brother. When you followed his gaze, Stretch was standing with Papyrus and Blueberry, looking over something. He made an excuse and left, walking out the kitchen. You and Sans followed before he took your arm from his shoulder. When you had gotten into the living room, you were actually sad to see that everything had gone back to where it was.

Stretch walked over to where Red and Serif had taken up on one of the couch, Red shuffling cards between the two of them. When they looked up, they looked almost relieved.

“can we finally go get some food now?” Serif grumbled. “i'm starving.”

“Yeah, you're _nothing but bones_ at this point,” you quipped.

That got you a few chuckles and the boys gathered up what they needed. You all looked into the kitchen to see the boys arguing over food in the book, and even Edge had come back down to join them. You made your way out the door with them, Stretch and Red immediately lighting up cigarettes. You blew the smoke away from you anytime it came close.

“So where are we going?” you finally asked as you cleared the woods where they lived.

“grillby's,” Sans said, like it was obvious. “what, you didn't think it was just my place with you, was it?”

“Hah!” you scoffed. “Not a chance. The bartinder already told me about how you spent almost all your time there Underground.” You pressed an invisible button and made an awful buzzer noise. “Try again.”

The others cracked up as he pushed you. You laughed as you all made your way to Grillby's, joking and laughing. You learned that Red likes to try and play poker with the dogs there sometimes, and even Sans or Stretch would join in. Serif often drank his ketchup by himself, and didn't like associating with the others.

“they're embarrassing when they're wasted,” he explained, pointing to Red. “'specially him.”

Red chuckled. “'m not embarrassin'. i jus' get a lil flirty.”

You made a gagging noise in the back of your throat. You caught the hurt expression cross his features for a minute and grab his arm, bringing him close to you as you wrap both your arms around both of his.

“I'm kidding, asshole,” you said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Just no flirting with me; I don't take compliments well.”

Red couldn't sass back as you released him and skipped head with Serif, who looked just as shocked as Red. Hell, they all looked shocked. You just smiled at them, waving your hand toward you as you started walking toward Grillby's again. The boys finally managed to snap out of whatever trance they had been in and rushed to catch up to you.

The night passed by so wonderfully, you thought. You learned that they did this about twice a month, when their brothers decided they were going to look for more recipes and eat the leftovers in the fridge. That was fine with you.

Red didn't end up joining the dogs tonight, but Stretch did. He actually looked to be really good at poker, you decided, watching him for a minute before turning your attention back to the other three skeletons with you. You talked as you ate, and the boys were having some drinks of their own. You nursed one drink, staving off their complaints with reminders that you had work in the morning. Which you also had to go home and sleep for.

By the time ten o'clock hit, the boys came home with you. They were laughing and joking as you tiredly carried yourself. At one point, you were sure you had almost fallen asleep while walking. The smell of ketchup, honey and mustard surrounded you as you drifted off to sleep, a small smile on your face.

\--

“Please tell me the coffee is ready.”

Your groan is met with squealing laughter from your manager, who is happily already making a cup of her own. She motioned for you to go for it and the noise you make could be considered as lewd as having sex in public. When you finally managed to craft your joy in a cup, you blew on it before taking a small sip.

Coffee, the nectar from the gods.

With that small kick in your step, the two of you finish opening up shop. You told her all about how Daisy had been acting and about how she kicked you out of the house, which she'd been upset over. Granted, it was understandable. Your dad and mom had helped you get the house to begin with. Well, your dad had. Your mom only made sure the money went into your hands, not someone else's. You recounted how the conversation went and your manager was shaking her head.

For being only five feet tall, she was a fiery little thing. You appreciated her in all sorts of ways, especially when customers tried to get in your face about something you couldn't control. Like prices. It was always with the stupid prices. She also had a love for Sans and Papyrus, seeing as the taller of the two frequented while you were working to say hello.

Her hazel eyes snapped over to you when had finished telling your tale, narrowed while she pushed open the door and closed it again, making sure it was working just fine. “Please tell me he hurt her.”

You drew back in shock. “No, of course not. Stretch and Sans stopped him before I went to calm him down.”

She sighed, shaking her head and coming back over to get behind the counter. “Sweetie, sometimes you're too nice for your own good.” She patted your arm. “Just be careful living with all those boys.”

You smiled at her. “Listen to you. You're only, what, six years older than me? But you're acting like a mother hen right now.”

“Six years may not seem like much. But in the last six years, we have both seen very different things.”

With that, the customers began pouring in like the rain that had begun to fall outside. You worked through the rush, watching as people came and went. You high fived any of your coworkers that came through before they clocked in and continued taking orders.

When the rush had finally ended, you let your manager skim the register while you went off to make another coffee. While you loved all the flavors, mixing hazelnut and french vanilla was always your go to. You smiled as you held the cup close to your face to inhale the scent.

“Hey, (Y/n),” one of your coworkers called back to you. “Someone is here to see you.”

_Probably Papyrus_ , you mused. But, when you went out to the front, you noticed it was a shorter skeleton, wearing a hat with his hood pulled up. He looked grumpy, like he didn't want to be there. You smiled and leaned over the counter, clearing your throat. When Serif looked up at you, he seemed to lose the tension in his shoulders as he chuckled.

“What's up, buttercup?” you asked, flicking the lip of his hat. “Need some coffee?”

“heh. that and pa...tango wanted me to come see when ya got off,” he said. “he's real excited 'bout getting to see your dancing.”

You chuckled and moved over to the register and punching in a coffee with random numbers before ringing it out. He looked shocked and you winked at him, grinning.

“I do this for Papyrus all the time when he comes to visit. He usually gets a tea or something while he waits to talk to me,” you explain. “My manager okayed it with him, and I'll let her know I did it with you, too.”

“I just watched you do it,” your manager commented as she passed in front of you with a tray of muffins. “All good, cupcake!”

You chuckled as you went and grabbed the largest cup size you had before turning to face him. “What'cha want?”

He seemed speechless, staring after your manager before stuttering out an answer. When you asked him about flavors, he seemed to be extra interested and asked which ones you had. After naming them off, he chose to go with caramel, like a basic bitch. When you handed him his coffee and told him so, he snorted before taking a drink.

“'s good,” he muttered happily, taking another sip.

You smiled. “I get off in about two hours. I'll have to head back to the house to change and grab stuff.”

“you got it, sweets.”

He walked away before you could comprehend what he had just called you. Your face heated up and you went back to doing your job. There were a few times you would feel eyes on you, but when you would look around, no one was watching. Even Serif was busy texting away on his phone. You shrugged it off and went back to doing your job.

You started new pots of coffee and made sure all the pastries and such were orderly before asking your manager if she needed anything else. She reached up and patted your cheek, smiling and giving you a wink.

“We'll be alright here, doll,” she told you. “Go have fun on your date.”

You choked on the coffee, sputtering for a minute before you were able to say anything.

“It's...it's not a date,” you wheezed. “Christ, Ang. What the hell is wrong with you?” You managed to choke out a laugh as she shrugged.

“Just clock out and get off my floor.”

“One more cup of coffee, then I'll get off your floor.”

She laughed as you clocked out, pressing the buttons as you decided if you wanted coffee, or did you want an iced tea? Large iced tea with six sugars sounded good...but coffee still sounded better. You were still dreadfully tired, and if you were going to be dancing with skeletons, you knew you would need the energy.

So, after making your coffee and grabbing your things up, you stepped out from behind the counter, yelling at your coworkers you'd see them Monday. When you walked over to Serif, he was already standing, waving to the door.

“ready to go?”

“After you, boneboy.”

He chuckled and you guys made your way out. It was still sprinkling outside, and the clouds overhead were getting darker, threatening more rain. You both picked up the pace as he asked you how the first part of your shift went. As you regaled him with stories of angry soccer moms and impatient business men and hungover students, you made your way to the woods and up to the house.

When you got inside, he went into the living room to wait for you as you made your way up to your room. You debated on a shower, but decided against it; you were just going to get sweaty and gross again. So you shed your work clothes and grabbed a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra, putting them on real quick before heading into your closet to grab your own trainers.

You brushed out your hair and put it back up in its ponytail before you nodded once to yourself, snagging your wallet and phone before heading back to the first floor. When you entered the living room to let Serif know you were ready, there were other skeletons in the room.

Red looked up at you from a sheet of paper he was going over with Serif. His eye lights constricted for a second before they blew back to their normal size again and he gave a whistle, causing Serif to look up. =

“damn, kitten. lookin' good.” Red winked at you and you rolled your eyes.

You were not swooning over this skeleton. Gods, no.

“I'm ready when you are, Serif.”

“alright, sweets. let's get goin' then. sure tango is waiting for us to get there.” Serif muttered something to a shocked Red, who nodded before the former made his way over to you and you both headed back out.

You made quick timing, having to power walk so you didn't get caught in the rain. When you got there, Tango was already practicing with someone, so you went to set your stuff down where Serif told you his things were. You took a minute to watch this dancing skeleton move to the rhythm of the music that filled the air.

The silly guy had a rose clenched between his teeth. And he was dancing...the cha cha with a girl about your age. She was laughing as she swerved her hips to the music and stepped with ease. Even though there was a hilarious gap in height, you leaned back and smiled.

“he's good, right?”

You startled and looked over to see Serif standing beside you, watching his brother. You made a noise of agreement and you both watched him for a minute before the music finally ended and the two stepped away from each other. There was a wide grin on both of their faces, and Tango looked absolutely over the moon in the moment.

“YOU'RE GETTING BETTER,” he complimented, moving over to the player that was blasting music. “HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING LIKE WE DISCUSSED?”

“Of course I have, T,” she chuckled. Her eyes shot over to where Serif and I were and she gave a small wave. “Hey, Serif? Who's the girl with you?”

“(y/n),” he said. “she's stayin' with the the others and us.”

“WE MADE A HUGE BLANKET FORT THE OTHER NIGHT.”

“And we can do it again, so long as the others okay it,” you chuckled.

“Ah, well, nice to meet you. Name's Ruby.” She smiled. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“nah, we'll go use the other room,” Serif said, waving her off. “'ll catch you guys later. tango, when you're ready to come join, just walk in.”

“I SHALL, BROTHER. HAVE FUN, HUMAN FRIEND.”

You waved as Serif led you to a door that opened into another, larger room. It had two sets of mirrors, set opposite each other and covering their respective walls. There were bars in front of them and the floor was polished to a shine. You heard your shoes squeak against the floor as you enter, taking a look around you.

You hadn't been in a room like this in years, and the memories swept over you. How much you hated being in that room with the crusty old teacher and how badly you wanted to just give up. You had been a fast learner, and you knew everything within weeks. But it caused you nothing but misery. At least until your third nanny had shown you the fun of dancing, and how dancing on your own could be a lot more fun.

And you had found the joy of dancing in your room, to your own music and to your own beat. It had been the most freeing thing you'd experienced in your life at that point. Your father had gotten you your own dancing studio the large house, with the promise of putting on a show for her at least once a week.

But then your mother had shut it down...

“sweets?”

Serif's voice brought you out of your thoughts and you smiled as he came back over. There was music flowing through the air. He came over to you and had an arm wrapped around your waist within seconds, a smirk on his teeth as he stared at you.

“let's see what'cha know, sweets.”

He spun and twirled you, lifted you off the ground. There were only a few points where he paused and corrected your hip movement, your foot placement. There was one time he had settled his hands on your waist and let you sway against him, and there was a heat in your face that you couldn't shake away.

When you faced him again, there was a tinge of indigo on his cheekbones and you chuckled and let him spin you away. He pivoted on his feet and swayed to the rhythm. He shuffled his feet and twisted and turned in ways you didn't think a skeleton could. It was impressive the way he moved. The strings of his hoodie were swinging this way and that, but they always missed you when you two were brought together by the dance again.

The next song came on and you looked from the speaker to Serif and back again. When you looked back at Serif he chuckled, holding his hand out. You grinned, and took it, letting this music flow over you as you mouthed the lyrics along with the rapper.

_“California Love!_

_“California...knows how to party,_

_California...knows how to party_

_In the citaaay, of L.A._

_In the citaaay of good ol' Watts,_

_In the citaaay the city of Compton,_

_We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'._

_Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west,_

_A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness,_

_The track hits ya like a slug to ya chest Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex,_

_We in that sunshine state with a bomb ass hemp beat_

_And pimps be on a mission for them greens,_

_Lean mean money making machines servin' fiends_

_I been in the game for ten years makin' rap tunes_

_Ever since honeies was wearin' sassoon_

_Now it's '95 and they clock me and watch me_

_Diamonds shinin' lookin' like I robbed Liberace_

_It's all good, from Diego to tha Bay_

_Your city is tha bomb if your city makin' pay_

_Throw up a finger if you feel the same way_

_Dre puttin' it down for,_

_Californ-I-A.”_

“I didn't take you for a Tupac person,” you laugh as he brings you in and you sway against the beat.

You could feel his chuckle against your chest and one of his arms snaked around your waist to grab your opposite and and swing you back out. “i listen to a lot, sweets. i'll have to show just how much i can dance to. hip-hop is just my _groove_.”

Your laugh carried its echo through the room as you continued.

_“California...knows how to party,_

_California...knows how to party_

_In the citaaay, of L.A._

_In the citaaay of good ol' Watts,_

_In the citaaay the city of Compton,_

_We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'._

_“Shake it, shake it, baby_

_Shake it, shake it, baby,_

_Shake it, shake it, mama,_

_Shake it, Cali_

_Shake it, shake it, baby_

_Shake it, shake it,_

_Shake it, shake it, mama._

_“Out on bail fresh outta jail, California dreamin'_

_Soon as I stepped on the scene, I'm hearing hoochies screamin'_

_Fiendin' for money and alcohol_

_The life of a west side playa where cowards die and its all ball_

_Only in Cali where we riot not rally to live and die_

_In L.A., we wearing Chucks, not Ballies (that's right)_

_Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do_

_Flossin' but have caution we collide with other crews_

_Famous 'cause we program worldwide_

_Let'em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans,_

_Bumpin' and grindin' like a slow jam, it's west side_

_So you know the row won't bow down to no man_

_Say what you say_

_But gimme that bomb beat from Dre Let me serenade the streets of L.A._

_From Oakland to Sacktown_

_The Bay Area and back down_

_Cali is where they put the mack down_

_Give me some love!”_

By now, you were laughing. Serif was keeping up with the lyrics, and you couldn't help that little swell of pride. You had grown up on this music, before “mumble rap” had become the biggest thing. You had loved listening to this stuff on radio, and now you not only got to hear it, you got to dance to it with your roommate!

Life couldn't be any sweeter at this point. The way he expressed himself not through his facial expressions, but his dancing, was absolutely beautiful. His moves flowed so easily, and he matched you step for step if he needed to. He was smooth and easygoing, and something you had really needed. This just felt so right.

_“California...knows how to party,_

_California...knows how to party_

_In the citaaay, of L.A._

_In the citaaay of good ol' Watts,_

_In the citaaay the city of Compton,_

_We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'._

_“Shake it, shake it, baby_

_Shake it, shake it, baby,_

_Shake it, shake it, mama,_

_Shake it, Cali_

_Shake it, shake it, baby_

_Shake it, shake it,_

_Shake it, shake it, mama.”_

The song had basically come to its end at that point, nothing but Tupac talking about this different places of California and that west side was the best side. You had ended up flush against the skeleton, panting and grinning, sweat beading on your forehead and your back. You could feel it slowly trickle down, one of your arms thrown over his shoulder. His thigh was between yours and your foreheads were pressed together. You were looking into his eyelights and you felt something swell inside of you. He was watching you, his gaze flicking between yours.

“WOWIE, HUMAN. THAT WAS AMAZING.”

Startled by Tango's loud voice, you almost tripped over his feet when you stumbled back. He kept his grip on your until you managed to right yourself and then let you go. You felt a little bereft and rubbed your arms as your smile turned to Tango, who was standing in the doorway. The rose was now in his breast pocket and his sash was around his waist. Even practicing he wore the same lovely getup he had a couple days prior.

“Thanks, T,” you said, using your forearm to wipe the sweat from your face. “I haven't danced like that in years. How long have you been around?”

“ALMOST THE WHOLE TIME! YOU AND SA – SERIF WERE SO INVOLVED WITH YOUR DANCING YOU DIDN'T NOTICE ME COME IN.”

Your face heated up, but your smile never left your lips. How long had it really been since you got to feel anything like that? You had felt like the little girl you had once been, dancing in front of your mom and your nanny while they clapped and cheered you on.

“MAY I HAVE A TURN WITH DANCING?” Tango asked, holding out his hand to you. Before you could take it, you noticed he had pulled the suave move and had plucked the rose from his pocket and had handed it to you, his grin cheeky as you caught on to what he had done. Your laugh once more echoed around you.

You took the rose and his hand, and he twirled you around and pull you close against him. Serif had gone over and scrolled through music before deciding on something and pressing play. The sound of classic rumba filled the room and you chuckled.

“DO YOU KNOW HOW?”

You nodded and began. Forward with the left, right with the right foot. Left foot to the left side of the right foot. Right foot back, over to the left with your left foot. Right foot to the right side of your left foot. It reminded you of all the stiff dinners and dances you had attended over the years with your father and mother. The way the boys there acted like they deserved your attention.

But Tango was excited, and expressed himself through his dancing, much like Serif. His expressions matched the way the music changed, and his excitement was palpable as you danced with the tall skeleton. He was as smooth in his movements as his brother was.

You caught Serif's expression in the corner of your eye and almost stumbled over your own two feet. His grin was still in place, but it looked like his eyelights had gone out? There was empty void in his skull rather than the lights, and his sockets were trained on you. You didn't know how you knew, but you could just feel the stare on you.

There were goosebumps on your arms.

When the music ended, you moved away from Tango, going to hand him his flower back. He took it, but then snapped the stem off of it, placing it in his pocket before leaning down over you. He messed with your hair for a moment and moved back. When he pulled away, you put a hand to your hair. The rose sat there, its petals tickling your ear. You kept your fingers on it, smiling.

“Thank you.”

“IT IS NO PROBLEM FOR THE GREAT TANGO.”

You laughed and looked over to Serif, whose eyelights had come back. Maybe you had been imagining it and they never actually went out. You had only seen it for a split second, and he looked totally relaxed. But that didn't explain the creepy memory of being stared at with the blank, empty sockets of your roommate.

The three of you continued with your dancing, the boys taking turns in helping you learn new moves and new dances. You laughed as they moved you around, and Tango only yelled at Serif once for being lewd. You had been drinking water and you had snorted it through your nose in laughter when he screamed it.

By the time they were done, your legs and arms felt like noodles, and your feet ached. They had to practically drag you out of the door to grab your things. When you had made sure you gotten everything, you walked to the door so they could lock up.

“So you guys, like, own the building?” you asked. “Impressive.”

Serif nodded. “yeah, sans said we could use the money and open our own place so long as the income helped pay for something.” He chuckled. “so we pay one bill in the house, plus pitch in for groceries.”

“AND ALL THE DISGUSTING KETCHUP YOU DRINK.”

I groaned. “Not you, too.”

Serif grinned. “hell yeah. that shit is delicious.”

As you guys left the building, you turned to look both ways around you. And then you stopped. There was another figure leaning against the wall of the building, a beanie pull over his head and a familiar blue jacket pulled up over his figure. But when he looked at you, you almost jumped backwards. It wasn't Sans.

This skeleton had a single blown out eyelight, about the same shade of red as Red's, maybe a little lighter. The other socket was pitch black, just an empty blackness. It sent shivers down your spine as he smiled wide. It looked casual, but even somehow...manic. You looked between him and the other two, who had now paused in what they were doing. Serif seemed put on edge immediately, but Tango wouldn't be deterred.

“AXE! HOW NICE OF YOU TO JOIN US!” he said as the newcomer bounced off the wall to stand. “ARE YOU HERE TO ACCOMPANY US HOME?”

Axe chuckled, looking between the three of you. His gaze lingered on you and you narrowed your eyes. Axe...the others had mentioned him when you told Stretch and Red about your encounter. It clicked and you pointed at him, and much like you did Red, you sputtered for a minute.

“You!”

Still not very eloquent.

Axe winked his blacked out socket at you, keeping it closed while he stared at you. “it's _knife_ to finally meet'cha, puddin'. ya recognize me?”

You scoffed. “Of course I do! You were staring at me from the shadows like a creeper! And 'puddin''? Who are you, Harley Quinn?”

Serif snorted a laugh while Axe shrugged, not bothered in the slightest by your words. Serif was closer to you, you noticed, and Axe hadn't really moved except to get off the wall. His hands were stuffed into his hoodie pockets and you were struck by just how closely Sans and him looked. There were just so many things that you could put together. Like the hoodie, the shirt. Hell, he was even wearing the same basketball shorts and pink slippers Sans often wore on his “lazy days”.

Which were all of his days.

Though he had been putting in more effort to wear more things like jeans and sneakers, different shirts. But he still wore that hoodie. Hell, you were pretty sure Axe and Sans wore the same one, you thought as you took a closer look at the hoodie Axe wore.

Interesting.

You checked the time on your phone and Serif threw an arm around your shoulders. “well, ready to head back?”

“Yeah. I could go for a shower,” you muttered. “I reek.”

Tango laughed. “NYEH HEH HEH. LET US HEAD BACK TO THE HOUSE THEN AND YOU CAN TAKE A SHOWER AND RELAX. SHALL WE?”

Axe grinned. “yea. lets.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serif: i don't think she'll be that good. she said it was only for a little while and she does have the body for it. but she's probably extremely clumsy and can barely hold her form. she's probably a fuckin' disaster and won't be able to keep up with paps and i--  
> MC: *keeps up with them just fine, minus only a few mistakes*  
> Serif: i was wrong marry me  
> MC: What?  
> Serif: what?


	7. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet new skeleboys, and they're all throwing you a welcoming party!
> 
> You get a visitor while trying to do homework.
> 
> Red takes you somewhere special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **STORY TIME**
> 
> So. I'm (sadly) a smoker. And I smoke outside my parent's house because I don't wanna stink up their home, right? Well, we also have a puppy that likes to get himself tangled in the chair that I smoke in. This will cause the ashtray to fall off the chair and cigarette butts are everywhere. And I don't expect anyone else to pick them up. They fucking stink. xD I don't even like it. (Am currently trying to quit).
> 
> My ten year old brother spent four hours in the heat today to make me a small table to keep my ashtray on so it doesn't keep falling from the chair I smoke in. TwT This little shit is killing me, y'all.
> 
> Introducing!:  
>  **Horrortale Papyrus: Crooks**  
>  **Swapfell Sans: Blackberrry**  
>  **Swapfell Papyrus: Mutt**  
>  **Underlust Sans: Sin**  
>  **Underlust Papyrus: Pink**
> 
> ALSO: I HAVE A TUMBLR. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> I have like, 13 followers, so I don't post much. So if you give me a follow, I'll update it more often AND I was thinking about doing an Q&A with these boys, plus any of the other boys from me fanfictions! Your choice; I'll answer as them. (:
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3  
> And see y'all next week!

On the way back to the house, Serif stuck close by me. Tango was engaging Axe in conversation...even if was only one sided for the most part. Axe would make noises or answer in one or two words. But nothing more than that came from the skeleton. His gaze was switching between staring at the area that surrounded you guys to you in general. You never acknowledged him, but he would keep staring nonetheless.

Once you got to the house, Serif opened the door and Tango helped you to the stairs. It had been so long since you had worked your legs like that, you had ended up getting a piggy back ride from him halfway home. He darted past the others before you could even get out a hello, and you thought there were voices you didn't recognize calling after him.

He darted up the stairs and took you to your room, setting you down on your feet at the door. “GO AHEAD AND GET WASHED UP AND RELAX FOR A LITTLE WHILE, ROSE. COME DOWN WHEN YOU ARE READY.”

You smiled and gave him a hug, wrapping your arms around his spine. He let out a small noise from shock before crushing you in a hug.

“Thanks, T.”

When you pulled away, there was a faint orange hue that dusted his cheekbones. He turned and walked away without another word, seemingly flustered. You opened your door and entered your room, taking in the space around you.

You smiled a little as you made your way to your dresser, grabbing out a whole new wardrobe and heading for the bathroom. In there, instead of starting the shower, you drew up a bath. The steam from the water rose into the air and you poured a little bit of the essential oil you had left in there before putting it back under the sink.

You removed the rose from your hair and, once you settled yourself in the tub and turned off the water, you sighed heavily. The ache in your legs would definitely cripple you tomorrow. Hopefully it wasn't too busy at work, and you had the small relief that you didn't go into work until later in the day. But it was an ache you could live with, and one that made you remember why you used to love dancing.

There were a lot of things you used to love doing. Until your mother came along and ruined it all or made up some excuse as to why you couldn't love or do that thing anymore. It had crushed you as a kid, but once you hit that rebellious teenage phase, you had decided to fight back. Only to be torn down behind closed doors.

You sank into the tub and felt your hair wrap around your neck as you pulled yourself back up. You took in a deep breath and completely submerged yourself for a few seconds and then resurfaced, gulping in air. You began to wash your hair, your brain on overdrive from all of the activity of the day.

It really hit you, in the quiet of the bathroom, how alike a lot of them were. And maybe you could chalk it up to being from the same family, but there were just so many correlations that you could see practically throwing themselves at you.

Like how Tango, Papyrus, Edge and Blueberry all liked to yell. It was like none of them had volume control, even though Blueberry seemed to be the odd one out of the bunch that was like that. Plus, they all looked alike, except again for Blueberry, who looked a lot like Sans.

Then there was Sans himself, and Serif, Red and Stretch. Hell, even Axe. They all talked alike, and they all seemed to be lazy, wear some kind of hoodie. They all had the same kind of smarts from what you could gather, even though hadn't really seen it yet. The condiment drinking was also a dead giveaway. But, again, like in Blue's case, Stretch seemed to be the odd one out. You didn't know how you felt about it, but you knew there was something there.

Or again, maybe it was just because they were cousins. Maybe you were just overthinking things and needed to calm down before you got yourself into a mess you couldn't get out of.

You dunked your head under again, making sure to bring all your hair with you so this way you could wash out the conditioner you had put in. When you came back up, you breathed deep and started to drain the tub. You quickly lathered yourself up in the strawberry body wash you loved the most and used the shower hose to wash it all off. When you got out, you wrapped yourself in a towel and wrapped your hair up. You headed over to the mirror and swiped the fog from it, watching as more steam rose behind you.

There was something going on with this strange family of skeletons and you were gonna be damned if you didn't find out. At this point, there was just a nagging feeling you couldn't shake. But before you could even get too far into your train of thought, you shook it off. It was just coincidence and there was no way there were all the same person. That would literally be impossible.

You dried off and got dressed before taking your hair out of the towel and drying it, scrubbing it dry and bringing out the blow dryer so you could get the wait over with. While you loved your hair, it took way too long to dry on its own. Once that was done, you put the rose back in your hair, put everything away and left, heading out of your bathroom and back into your room.

You grabbed your phone and left your room, heading down to the first floor. When you made it down there, you heard music coming from the living room and headed over that away. When you got to the doorway, you paused, your eyes nearly bugging out of your head.

There were so many skeletons! There were the ones you knew, then there were at least five others you didn't recognize talking with the others. There was the tallest of the group that you didn't know, and he looked _just like Papyrus_. But...a lot taller and kind of hunched over. His teeth were jagged and jutting out in different places and stained a rusted red. It almost looked like he was busted in the face a few times by a blunt object. His eye sockets looked like they were sunken into his skull. He was wearing a shirt that seemed a little too small for him to fit, exposing his bottom ribs and spine. His jeans were more like baggy shorts on him, kept on with a worn leather belt. Much like Papyrus, he wore a red scarf which was tattered, red boots and a pair of red gloves.

The next one you noticed looked like Red, but talked like Blueberry. His voice was loud and carried over conversations. He actually reminded you more of Edge than Papyrus or Blueberry. He was about the same size as Blueberry, but carried a much bigger presence than him. You noted that he was wearing a tight fitting black shirt and a pair of black jeans that were tucked into a pair of red boots. There was a little bit of a heel on them, probably only an inch or an inch and a half. He had on gloves as well, and wore a red bandanna that looked like it had been through some shit. And like Edge, there were two long cracks in his skull over his left eye, from just under the top of his skull to the top of his grin.

The one beside him looked like Stretch. He was slouching, you could tell. But he reminded you more of Red somehow? He had on a red and black hoodie with fur around the hood, pulled up to hide his face. You caught a glint of gold from beneath it, though. He wore black jeans as well, and orange sneakers that were left partially untied. When he slightly turned to look at the skeleton beside him, you caught the hint of an orange collar, a dog tag hanging from it.

“oh, so this must be the new human~!”

You squeaked as all eyes turned to you and a pair of hands went around your waist, lifting you a little. You looked around, slightly panicked as Sans came over to you, removing the hands and bringing you in close to him. He tucked you under his arm as you took in the person who had hugged you.

Once again, he looked a lot like Sans. He also looked...kind of like a stripper. His eyelights were purple and he wore a black tee shirt with a purple upside down heart on it. He had on a pair of black leather pants that were tucked into a pair of purple shin high boots. These even had a small heel, but maybe only half an inch. Over his shirt he had on a purple vest with light blue fur around the hood, left open to reveal the shirt.

“Brother, I Told You To Not Assert Yourself Like That.”

You did a double take with this cousin. He was tall like Papyrus, and his black leather pants were tucked into yellow boots. His didn't have a heel, for which you were thankful for. What really threw you off wasn't even the fact he didn't have a volume control issue. What threw you off was the black crop top that stopped just under his bottom ribs and the pink magic that was swirling around where his abdomen would be.

You really wanted to poke it. But you managed to hold back...just barely.

“i would say i'm sorry, but then i'd be lying,” the shorter of the two said. He turned to you and grinned, his eyelights roaming over me. “you are an absolute cutie! the name is sin.”

“Pardon My Brother,” the taller one said. He held out his hand to you. “My Name Is Pink. It's A Pleasure To Finally Meet You.” He looked over you for a minute before his pink eyelights met your eyes again. “You're Even More Beautiful Than They Described.”

You felt your face heat up in a blush and you gave him your hand. But instead of shaking it like you thought he would, he brought it up to his teeth in a pseudo kiss. You let out a little noise of surprise before he gave you your hand back. You let it drop to your side, your mouth opening to say something, but nothing came out.

“SHE LOOKS AS AVERAGE AS I EXPECTED SHE WOULD.”

You turned to the voice to see it was the mini Edge, having turned to fully face you. There were bright, baby blue eyelights in his sockets and they were appraising you much like Pink and Sin had. Only he looked unimpressed by what he was seeing and looked over to Edge.

“SHE'S JUST A PLAIN HUMAN. SHE DOESN'T EVEN SEEM VERY SMART.”

You glared at him. “Excuse you?”

He smirked, his teeth rising on one side while he crossed his arms in front of his chest. If he had muscle and skin and all of that, you could see him trying to show said muscles off. But he was a bone man, and he was smaller than you. He was just a tiny tyrant, if you had to guess his personality.

“SHE MUST BE SLOW, TOO.”

Oh, you were getting mad now.

Before you could think better about it, you left Sans grip and marched over to where the little tyrant was waiting. He hadn't moved, and had left himself open. When you got close enough, you clenched your fist, stepping down hard on your less dominant foot in front of him before bringing your other foot up and around, spinning on your leg.

You stopped just before it cracked him in the jaw and when you saw him, he had fallen back, landing on his coccyx. He was staring up at you, and even through your anger, you could see the change in his opinion and two thoughts echoed through your mind in that moment.

One: all eyelights were on you.

Two: you were pretty sure you made a mistake.

As you dropped your foot with a decisive stomp, Sans rushed over to you and grabbed your arm, pulling you back against him. When you looked up at him, he looked a little panicked, his eyelights on the skeletons in front of you. You missed the expressions on Edge's and the mini tyrant's faces as they watched you.

When you turned back to them, the taller, slouched over of the two had helped him up. While the little brat was brushing himself off, Sans once more tucked you under his arm, almost like you were in an awkward hug with the comedian.

It felt nice.

The little brat was watching as Sans moved you both backwards, but this time he had approval written all over his face. He tilted his head to the side, looking from the corner of his eye socket and regarding the slouched over skeleton I was assuming was his brother. But his eyelights remained on you, regarding you.

“MUTT. FETCH.”

Then the other one started to move toward you, taking a few steps before Red was in front of you, hands in his pockets. Sans tightened his grip and you let out a little yelp from surprise. Mutt stopped, but his eyelights were on you. They were orange, but deeper. Like amber. He caught your gaze and winked. You glared at him and you caught the glint of gold again. When you looked down to his teeth, you saw the golden tooth and what looked to be a...dog treat?

“mutt, knock it off.”

“m'lord told me t' fetch,” Mutt said nonchalantly, his gaze flicking down to Red. “and i always do m'lord says.”

_M'lord?_

You couldn't say anything as you watched Red and Mutt glare at each other. The tension in the air was thick and you could feel static electricity spark up around you. You reached out to touch Red's arm, slowly moving away from Sans to stand beside Red. He tucked you under his arm this time, his eyelights never leaving Mutt's. But Mutt looked away and down to you.

You ignored him, playing with the zipper on Red's hoodie instead. The sound seemed to relax him, along with having you beside him. He finally moved you away, standing next to Sans as the little tyrant stomped his foot in agitation.

“I SAID FETCH.”

“she's not yours, blackberry,” Stretch said from his area on one of the couches. “she doesn't belong to any of us.”

“YET SHE'S AGREED TO STAY WITH A BUNCH OF PANSIES LIKE YOURSELVES,” Blackberry said, crossing his arms. “INTERESTING ENOUGH. HUMAN.” He looked back at you. “YOU'RE NOW MY PET. NOW COME HERE.”

You were thrown off, moving back a little bit as Mutt started coming your way again. Red gripped you tight again and you felt a weird floating feeling. When you blinked, you were across the room, beside Stretch with Red still clinging to you. Blackberry looked miffed and Mutt looked amused. Like he was willing to chase as long as it took...

“she's not your pet, ya little tyrant,” Axe growled, standing beside the hunched over skeleton with the bad teeth. “that type of shit isn't even allowed here.”

You distinctly remember Sans saying something like that to Red when you had gone to your old place to grab your valuable things. You glared over at Blackberry, who looked entirely too smug for someone who wasn't getting his way.

“WELL, SHE DOESN'T BELONG TO ANY OF YOU.”

It was said so matter of factly, and none of the others said anything otherwise. And while he was right, you weren't a dog toy to be fought over. You stepped away from Red and pointed your finger at him, keeping your glare as best as you could.

You had so many questions at this point, you were suffocating.

“I am no one's 'pet' or whatever,” you snapped. “I don't even know you, and like Axe said, that shit isn't even a thing here. So you can fuck off. And as for you–” You turned your finger and glare to Mutt. “–I don't care what 'your lord' or whatever told you to do; you can't just grab people! Christ, I should have hit you both!”

Was it just you, or did he look a little excited?

You couldn't speculate long before you were picked up and you were met with the crooked teeth of this Papyrus lookalike cousin. He actually looked really sweet, and he had lifted you up so you could stop walking toward them, which you hadn't been aware of doing. He was smiling despite everything and set you down on your feet once he realized the shock caused you to stop.

“DO NOT FRET, NEW HUMAN FRIEND!” he said, and again, loud. “NO ONE WILL LET THEM TAKE YOU.”

You looked around and notice everyone except Axe was on edge. They were all watching you with him, like they were afraid he'd been about to eat you. How ridiculous. You smiled up at him and squeezed his hand before you turned back to the others.

“heh, sorry. my bro doesn't like when people get angry,” Axe said. “he thinks it's always in _bad taste_.”

You didn't fail to notice he was the only one to laugh and the others tensed. You were definitely sure you were missing something here.

“MY NAME IS CROOKS, AND IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU!”

“It's nice to meet you, too” you said, smiling. Clapping your hands, you regarded the others. “So, why all the others?”

“well, kiddo, they're here to meet you,” Sans said.

“AND WE'RE THROWING A WELCOME PARTY!” Papyrus said eagerly.

“A welcome party?”

Blueberry spoke next, running up to you and grabbing your hand. You followed him and he showed you a large table that a whole bunch of food on it. There were many things that ranged from spaghetti and lasagna to the tacos and burritos. There were even some other smaller snacks. That even included the puppy chow in front of you, and you could feel your mouth watering from the sight of it. You hadn't had that in so many years...

“WE THOUGHT MAYBE YOU WOULD FEEL A LITTLE BETTER HERE IF YOU EVEN SAW SOME OF THE OTHERS!” he said now, excited. The stars were back in his sockets. “IT'S LIKE A WELCOME HOME PARTY FOR YOU! ALL OF US THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA!”

Bless their souls.

You took a look around and noticed the four pairs of brothers you live with were no longer looking at you. Well, Red, Sans, Serif and Stretch weren't. Hell, even Edge was looking at you. Tango was grinning and you couldn't help but smile back. You touched the rose in your hair absently.

“Then let's get the party started?”

There was a giant whoop next to you before Blueberry grabbed you around the waist and took your hand again, hauling you out onto the make shift dance floor.

Over the course of the night, you danced with every skeleton at least once, even Blackberry. Mutt and Stretch had taken their turns before spinning you toward their brothers. Pink and Sin had admittedly tried to hog you the entire time, and Blueberry was happy doing silly little dances.

Papyrus had executed an excellent ballroom style dance to some silly EDM song. Edge was content just watching, even rolling his eyelights when you tried to get him out on the floor. Serif and you had danced together with all eyelights on you. It reminded you of when you sang with Morgan, and how the perfect harmony you had with both Serif and Tango were perfect.

And Sans? He didn't dance with you. No, you got to experience a lazy skeleton do the worm. He literally was doing the worm across the floor with you laughing so hard your sides hurt, and Serif was off in the corner with a plate of food, looking absolutely horrified. Sans kept it going for a good twenty minutes before Edge came over and picked him up the hood of his hoodie.

It was a great night.

\--

The next few days were a whirlwind of being busy. When you weren't in class, you were either at work or you were at the dance studio with Serif and Tango. At one point, Edge had come into your room and demanded you head to the gym so you could train with him. Before you could even answer him, he left and you were left staring in confusion.

So from there, you had to set aside time for him. Which he wanted Mondays, of course. The worst day of the week to do _anything_.

You had seen very little of the other three sets of skeletons after the party. Of course, they all stole your phone and put in their numbers. So you had to go through and figure out whose text was whose. Sans apologized a lot for Blackberry's behavior, but you managed to get him to stop when you reminded him that you could take care of yourself.

Unless you were confronted with Mutt again. Throughout the party, he'd had his eyelights trained on you. But he never really approached you, even when you were by yourself. After he had gotten your phone and put in his number, he had simply winked and left with his brother. You were seriously confused with him.

“what's gotcha thinkin' so hard, brat?”

You let out a loud yelp, turning to face the sound of the voice. You glared when you saw the focus of your thoughts chilling there beside you, his eyelights on the papers and book in front of you. You watched in curiosity as the dog treat he had this time was smoking. Purple tendrils of said smoke drifted into the air around you both.

“Nothing,” you said curtly, turning to face your stuff again. “I'm trying to do schoolwork.”

“hm. the edgelord said somethin' about you going to school.” Mutt took a long drag of his dog treat and you watched in silent wonder as the purple smoke seemed to drift from the open sides of his mandible. “what'cha goin' to school for?”

“Zoology,” you said shortly. “Why are you here, Mutt?”

“m'lord asked me to keep an eye on his pet,” Mutt replied, shrugging. “so that's what i'm doing.”

You glared at him and swatted away the violet smoke he blew toward you. “For the last time, I'm not his pet.”

“tell him that.”

“I plan on it!”

You went back to your books, running your finger over words and jotting things down in the notebook beside you. When you glanced off to the side, you noticed he was still sitting there, and now he was eating the dog treat?! But it was still on fire! When he saw you noticed, he grinned down at you, gold tooth shining in the sunlight, and blew a wisp of the purple smoke your way.

You growled, waving it away from your face. You were growing really irritated, and pointed the pen at him while glaring up at him.

“I'm trying to get my work done. Do you mind?”

“nah.”

He made no move to go, so you huffed and started gathering all of your things together, stuffing them in the bag you had and slinging it over your shoulder. You pocketed your phone and moved away from the table you had been working at. It had been a nice day out, so you decided to try and get some work done in the sun before heading back to the house. It was Wednesday, so you didn't have anything to do other than school work, and you had a shift that didn't start for another two hours.

Mutt followed you, trailing along behind you. You rolled your eyes, but didn't acknowledge his presence as you made your way back to the house. You saw Stretch and Red outside smoking while Blueberry was tending to one of the flowers on the ground beside the pathway.

When they all noticed you, Stretch and Red glared at the unwelcome guest as Blueberry came up to you, taking your hand in his and bouncing on his feet excitedly.

“HUMAN, I HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT MAY HELP YOU WITH YOUR LAZY WAYS.”

Oof.

You had slept in on Sunday, determined to ignore the world around you. That is, until Blueberry began to panic that you had died or something in your sleep. And even when Papyrus tried to tell him it was normal for you to do this, Blueberry seemed intent on making you wake up early as hell even on your weekends off.

“Blue, we've been over this, sweetie...”

“IT'S OKAY. I UNDERSTAND THE CALL OF BEING LAZY IS SOMETHING SOME PEOPLE CAN'T HELP,” he said, casting a glance at his brother. “BUT I THINK MAYBE IF YOU COME WITH ME TO GARDEN EVERY MORNING, YOU COULD REALLY HELP YOURSELF!”

Garden? At five thirty in the morning? The skeleton must be high. But when you looked down to tell him no thanks, the way he was looking at you reminded you of the reason you built the giant blanket fort to begin with. You had to look away quickly or be drawn into the vortex of constantly saying yes to this adorable little bun.

“Sorry, Blue,” you said, your voice tight. “Those are my relaxing days. Which mean I sleep in those days on purpose.”

“BUT...I THOUGHT WE COULD BOND TOGETHER...”

Oh, Christ on a Pogo stick, he sounded so dejected! You couldn't help it as you slumped over and placed a hand on his head, causing him to look up at you. You gave him a tight smile as you lamented.

“Fine. Every other Sunday, though,” you said, holding a finger up. “Sound fair?”

“PERFECT!”

You sighed and rubbed your forehead. You really didn't even want to do that, but you wanted to make sure you spent time with all of your housemates. Even if it was beginning to run you a little thin. Maybe you could get them together and come up with a schedule?

A hand rested on your shoulder and you looked over to see Mutt with his hood pulled up. He had another dog treat in his mouth. This one, however, remained unlit as he bent down next to your ear and chuckled a little.

“if ya ever need a break, brat, ya know how t' reach me and m'lord.”

There was a little bit of static in the air before the weight lifted off of your shoulder. When you turned around, he was gone. Brows furrowed, your eyes searched the entire area to see if you could find him, but...he wasn't there. You shrugged it off and made your way up the porch, where Red and Stretch were both glaring at the spot Mutt had occupied.

“Hey, guys.”

“hey, kitten,” Red said, leaning back in his seat. Red smoke filtered from between his fangs and you watched in wonder as it sifted through the air. “did'ja get any work done?”

You groaned. “I tried. But Mutt found me. Guess Blackberry told him to watch me or something?”

Stretch rolled his eyelights around in his skull before saying, “just ignore the little runt. if they give you any trouble, just give us a shout. we'll be there.”

You didn't doubt that.

You waved them off as you entered the house, heading up the stairs and onto the third floor. You made quick work of putting your uniform on and snagging your apron and hat before jogging down the stairs to the first floor again. You were going to have to ask for an elevator or something. It was starting to hurt your legs.

“Alright guys, I'm out for the night!” you called. “I'll be home by about one!”

Everyone in the house chorused their farewells to you. You jogged most of the way there, keeping your phone in your hand and trying to get the blood flowing. You were exhausted, having barely slept the night before.

Your mother's words continuously played through your head. There were times where the doubt would really get to you, and you wouldn't be able to sleep. So instead, you'd opted to staring out the window and up at the stars, much like you always had.

When you got to the shop, it was already slammed. You didn't even slow down as you put on your hat and tucked your phone into your back pocket. It was vibrating against you with text messages, but you couldn't be damned right now. You clocked in and got to work, heading out to the front of house to help the barista.

The first four hours of your shift were like this. Running around, using multiple machines at once, waiting for beans to grind to make fresh pots of coffee. You were getting tired of all the Karens coming in as well. For some reason, they were just coming out of the wood works today, and you were getting tired of the snotty attitudes you couldn't return.

Listen, Karen, you don't care about how much foam she wants. The machine does what it wants, alright? Lay off.

By the time everything slowed down, you were ready to take the nearest business man and chuck him into the mountain. You finally got to take your break, so you made yourself a hot tea and took a muffin, heading over to one of the tables in the corner of the cafe and sat down to look through your phone. Facebook had been blowing up, and then there was your Instagram and Snapchat. You scrolled through all of the stories and notifications before you clicked on your actual text messages. There were numerous messages from some of the guys and you groaned. You had to scroll past at least four of them to get to a text from Morgan. After answering him, you went through and read through the messages from the boys.

 **Tyrant:** PET, I DEMAND TO KNOW WHEN YOU WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT. I WISH TO DISCUSS YOUR SERVITUDE TO ME.

 **Tyrant:** I DEMAND AN ANSWER NOW, PET.

 **Tyrant:** ANSWER YOUR MASTER THIS INSTANT!

You rolled your eyes and ignored his texts anyway, scrolling through the rest of them.

 **BigRed:** vanilla is busy workin' on some shit rn, so i'll be pickin ya up from work tonight.

 **BigRed:** oh, but theres sumwhere i need to go first before we head home.

 **Honeypot:** did red already text you? i figure he did. just letting you know to come right home with him after, okay, honey?

 **SANSational:** i know red probably already messaged you, but he volunteered to get you while stretch and i work on my project. just be careful around him and try to come straight home, alright?

You pursed your lips as you read through the last two again. It made you wonder what Red had to do exactly that the others didn't want you to see. You shrugged it off and sent an affirmation text to each of them before you turned off your phone and took a sip of your tea.

You spent the rest of your break looking out into the rain as you took sips of your tea. You didn't even know when it started to rain, and you were unsure when it had started to rain. It had been such a sunny day, too...

When you clocked back in from your break, you came back out to the front of the house and started wiping things down from when they had gotten a little busy. When you turned down to wipe off the counter, you paused. Red stood there, leaning against the glass that showcased the pastries your baker made every morning.

You gave him a smile as you wiped down the area in front of him. “You're here early. I probably won't be done till at least one.”

He shrugged. “ain't got nothin' better t' do anyway,” he said. “but i gotta question fer ya.”

You eyed him for a minute before shrugging. “Okay, ask away.”

“do ya come 'ere _oven_?”

It took you no more than two seconds before you were chuckling, playfully pushing him off the glass so you could clean it. “That was terrible.”

“got'cha though.”

“Do you want anything while you wait? Or are you gonna go hunt for more mustard?”

“There will be no condiment drinking in my shop,” your manager said, poking her head out of the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Get him a coffee or a tea, but no condiments.”

You grinned over at her while Red playfully huffed. She sent you both a wink and you turned to make him a coffee. You noticed that most of your housemates were coffee drinkers, except for one or two of them. Stretch liked his tea, and Papyrus and Blueberry liked milk. Whether it was white or chocolate didn't seem to matter. Even Serif tended to switch between the two.

You hummed when you turned back around and placed the cup on the counter, making sure the lid was on tight enough. There had been plenty of incidents where the lids won't stay on properly and they just pop off. And then there's the chance for a lawsuit because hot coffee is everywhere.

He takes it and sniffs at it for a moment and you raise a brow. “What's wrong? Scared I'm going to poison you?”

You missed the wince as he covered it up with a wink. “nah, i'd never think that 'boutcha, kitten.” He took a sip and blinked, looking at it for a minute before looking back at you. “what's in this?” He sounded impressed.

“Secret,” you called over your shoulder as you walked away. “I'll be another couple of hours. Go ahead and wait for me if ya want.”

You went back to work, mindlessly moving around and going through the motions of smiling and serving. There were a few occasions where you caught Red staring at you. And instead of him being shy and looking like he never did, he would send you winks and smirks. You had to admit, he real smooth on that front.

While you were closing, your manager and one of your coworkers were discussing the next schedule. When your coworker mentioned hiring Red, you scoffed.

There was no way. You had noted that Red was a lot like Sans. Hell, even Stretch and Serif seemed to be just as lazy. The only difference in that was that Serif liked to actually get up and go dance. But after that, he was as lazy as the rest of them. They always used their magic to get things done and you often heard their respective brothers yelling at them about being lazybones.

You hummed answers here and there when they talked to you, but your mind wasn't even on your work anymore. You finished your part of the list, calling out a goodnight as you made your way to the front of the house. Red was leaning back in his seat, the front two legs off the ground while he scrolled through his phone. His crimson eyelights looked up as you stopped by his table.

“all set?” At your nod, he placed the chair back on the ground and got out of it, heading for the door. “let's get goin' then. need t' go look at somethin' up before we head home.”

You followed him out of the shop before you headed away from the route home. You kept your pace with him and you realized just how much taller he was than you. It wasn't by much, but he was taller than even Sans. You were pretty sure the only other person who was shorter than you was Blue, and even maybe Black, as well. And even then it was only by a couple of inches.

You made your way beside him as the two of you made small talk. He definitely reminded you of Sans. He had a love for being lazy and jokes. Especially puns; those seemed to be his absolute favorite. You punned right back at him, the two of you exchanging crappy jokes the entire way to wherever it was you were going.

Your phone vibrated in your back pocket, so you brought it out and sighed. Sans and Stretch had both texted you, along with Blueberry and Blackberry. Hell, even Mutt had messaged you. You looked over to Red, who was grinning down at you with amusement written all over his features.

“You know we were supposed to go straight home.”

“i know.”

“Do you even care?”

“nope.”

“At least tell me where we're going.”

“it's a secret.”

That had you on edge instantly, and you kept your phone in your hand the rest of the walk. When you both neared the woods, you slowed your walk, glancing over at Red. He stood more toward the edge of the treeline, having stopped to look over at you. He still wore his easy grin, but he was now holding out one of his hands.

“Red...”

“d'ya trust me?”

Did you? Not really; you had only met him a week ago. But he had tried to stand up for you when he came with you and Stretch to get your things. Even if he was trying to kill Daisy. The memory made a small smile come to your lips as you regarded him. He hadn't tried anything yet, and he looked genuinely worried you'd say no.

“I can start trying to,” you answered, placing your hand in his.

His grin became more relaxed and he tugged you into the darkened woods. You realized his eyelights were being used to help you navigate the forest floor, casting a soft, red glow around you. You tightened your grip on his hand as he led you further into the forest.

Mount Ebott was still a mountain many people wanted to go into, to explore and see how life was like. It was surrounded by the same forest you were traversing in, and stood high enough you wondered what would make a child like Frisk go and fall down it to begin with.

You both made it to a clearing, but there was a different sight other than the stars that drew your attention. When you squinted enough, adjusting your eyes to the darkness, you saw two deer across the clearing. In fact, there was a doe and a fawn, eating grass side by side. You sucked in a breath, doing your best to be quiet. You didn't realize you had tried moving forward until Red snagged your shoulder, his claws digging into it gently.

“don't go so fast,” he whispered. “they're gonna be easily startled, an' especially th' mother. since that's 'er baby.”

You knew that much; it was something you had learned when you were old enough to love animals. But something about seeing them right here in front of you, unaware of your presence was purely magical.

There was the crack of a twig not too far from where they were eating. Both of their heads shot up and, much to your enjoyment, a buck came out into the clearing. The antlers on him were huge, and you marveled at the way he seemed to carry himself. Your breath left you on a whisper of a sigh.

Neither you nor Red talked as you watched this little family interact. If what you remembered was correct, the antlers should be falling off of him soon, seeing as summer had come to an end and mating season was over. Watching as he herded the doe and the fawn back into the safety of the trees made you smile a little.

When they had gone, you turned to look at Red, who was actually watching you. You felt your face heat up and looked away, watching as the buck disappeared into the forest behind his family. It was quiet between the two of you for a while. At one point, he helped you to your feet and you made your way out of the woods once more.

You vaguely registered that you were still holding hands with Red, but something inside of you just didn't want to let go. You were over the moon right now, and you finally broke the silence between you by expelling a loud breath.

“That was amazing!” you said excitedly. “I've never been able to get that close to a deer before!”

Red chuckled next to you. “boss said somethin' about yer major fer school,” he said, “an' i often go there t' gaze at the stars an' whatnot. they come through every now an' then. figured i'd take th' chance they'd be there tonight.”

It was absolutely perfect. You ranted on about the stuff you knew about deer. The different types there were, and the way some of the behaved differently than others. You never once noticed that way Red was looking at you, like you were the best thing in the world in that moment.

How your eyes lit up when you talked about animals, the way they worked and how much you loved them. The way your free hand would move around while you talked. How your hair clung to your flushed cheek.

And just how perfect your hand fit in his.

Was this how vanilla felt? Whenever he got to go off and be alone with you whenever he got tired of being around him and the others? Or when he needed a break from the machine? Jealousy was definitely rearing its ugly head, and Red did everything he could to stamp it down.

It was different now. He and the others actually had a chance now that you were living there. Not to say that vanilla still wouldn't try, but the others were gonna step up their game now, too.

Especially since it seemed the idiot had formed some kind of bond with her.

This was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackberry: SHE'S JUST SOME TINY LITTLE HUMAN. SHE WOULD BREAK SO EASILY IN MINE AND MUTT'S WORLD. SHE WOULD NEVER MAKE IT. JUST LOOK AT HER. AND SHE'S NOT EVEN THAT ATTRACTIVE. SHE MUST BE STUPID.  
> MC: *basically knocks him on his ass*  
> Blackberry: SHE WILL BE MY QUEEN.


	8. Muffin!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Blueberry bake!  
> Bar night, and you're singing along with Morgan and his group!  
> But who the hell else is back there with you?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS.  
>  _GUYS._  
>  **GUYSSSSS**  
>  250 kudos? 1.9K hits?? 60 bookmarks???  
> YOU ARE ALL SO PERFECT AND AMAZING. <3
> 
> \-------------------------
> 
> HEY GUYS. <3
> 
> Just a quick reminder to follow me on Tumblr! I have no idea how to post this shit as a link, so it's here for you whenever! Remember, when I get enough people following me, I will open up any and all questions for the skeleboys! And that would be from any fanfiction I have written.
> 
> Against All Odds  
> You'll Be Mine  
> A Skele-ton of Fun
> 
> ...and there may be a new one in the works because I keep getting ideas and I ~~can't~~ won't stop them.
> 
> So give me a follow and ask ANY skeleboy so far introduced your question! (:
> 
> [Here's my Tumblr!](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> **Songs of Chapter:**
> 
> [Need You Now - Lady Antebellum](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9picrMS830c)   
>  [Something More - Aly & AJ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72vJOBMOBFw)   
>  [Shape of You - Ed Sheeran](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dK2tDK9grQ)

The next couple of weeks went by smoothly. At least, in your opinion. Things were beginning to get easier, and you began to move in a routine with the guys. At first, it had been kind of awkward. Sans and Papyrus were the only ones really used to you, or humans in general. It was a really funny talk to have with others why you don't walk in on someone in the bathroom.

You never wanted to have that conversation again.

For the most part, it was easy living with everyone. Edge took you out to train on Mondays after your classes, and Serif and Tango had you Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sans would still walk you home from work every night, unless he was held up by his project. The only skeletons you hadn't really interacted with very much were Red, Papyrus, Blueberry and Stretch.

It wasn't for lack of trying, but you always seemed to be caught up with the others. You were going to have to make a calendar of some kind to make sure everyone got their time with you. Especially since you had to juggle your work load as well.

Sans did mention you wouldn't have to do anything, but it still felt wrong not paying them or something for allowing you to stay here. It wasn't like you wanted to leech off of them. But it was nice to save up quicker so you could try and get an apartment or something. You could even ask Morgan if he wanted to be roommates again if his situation was still looking like crap.

For the first Friday in a long time, you had off work, and you were going through your schoolwork to make sure everything had been completed. You had a paper due on Monday, but you had that done ages ago. Your biology courses were preparing for a field trip in a couple of weeks, so not much work in that class other than studying up on things. You filed away different papers in their different folders and stacked everything up on the corner of the desk and sighed, placing your head in your arms.

You'd had no classes today, either. And you were bored out of your mind. Edge and Red had gone out to do something with another group of cousins, and Stretch was with Sans back at the physics lab again working on that project. Papyrus was out with Undyne and Tango, and you were pretty sure Serif was relaxing in his room.

Which meant that it was just you and Blueberry, and you were sure Blueberry was out and about, too. You lifted your head and checked the time. It was only noon, and you were bored to death. You sighed and grabbed your phone and your headphones, deciding to head down to the kitchen. You hummed on your way down, plugging in the headphones and put the earbuds in.

When you made it to the kitchen, you shuffled your playlist and started a random song before putting the phone in your pocket. You then went over to the fridge and hummed to yourself, trying to pick out things to make something with.

When you had been a kid, and you'd been bored, you would often go to the kitchens and be taught how to bake. Your mother never knew of these excursions, and you were happy she didn't. The baker in the kitchen was always more than happy to teach you and let you help. Everyone always thought it was a better alternative than getting into trouble with the law or doing the usual dumb things teenagers get involved in.

Over time, it had developed into something like a therapy. The baker had been fired not too long after your fifteenth birthday. You had been so stressed out and upset, you had gone into the kitchen and started making her special chocolate chip cookies. Or blueberry muffins. Those had always been your favorites.

Why not make both?

You pulled out everything you needed and shut the fridge with your hip. When you placed everything on the counter, you went over to the cupboards and began moving things around to go find the rest of what you needed. You were muttering to yourself, trying to think of the recipes right off the top of your head. You were pretty sure they had everything you needed...except for flour.

How does a house full of skeletons who love to cook not carry flour?

“Y/N?”

You shrieked, your grip on the door to the cupboard slipping as you fell back. You fell into a pair of arms and you yanked out one of your earbuds to see your savior. Crooks was holding you bridal style and you noticed there were grocery bags that had been dropped in lieu of catching you. Blueberry stood behind him, picking things up and putting them on the counter.

“Christ, guys, you scared me,” you breathed out as Crook placed you back on your feet.

“WE TRIED CALLING YOUR NAME, BUT YOU WEREN'T RESPONDING,” Blueberry said, coming over to hand you something.

Flour. They had been shopping.

You took it and smiled at him, heading back over to the little island of counter space and placed it there. You went on the hunt for mixing bowls and some spoons. The other two were putting stuff away, but watching as you gathered all of your baking things.

When you began, you felt a nudge on your left. You looked over to see Blueberry looking over to see what you were doing. Crooks had taken up your right side, a gloved hand to his teeth as he watched.

“You guys want to help?”

Your voice seemed to startle them from whatever they had been thinking so hard on. Blueberry looked up at you with stars in his sockets and nodded eagerly. Crooks, however, was looking away and wringing his hands together. You took his hand and when he looked down at you, you smiled at him. Whatever he had been thinking must have been upsetting him, so you handed him the flour you set aside for the cookies.

“WHAT ARE WE MAKING?” Crooks asked, putting the flour in the bowl.

“I couldn't decide between muffins and cookies, so...”

“COOKIES.”

“MUFFINS!”

They had spoke in unison, and you looked between the two of them as they stared at the other. Your laughter brought them out of their staring contest and you pointed a spoon at both of them, grinning.

“Now you see the dilemma,” you chuckled. “How about we do this: Blue, you can help me make the muffins. Crooks, you and I can do the cookies. How does that sound?”

Crooks and Blueberry gave their ascent. Crooks, however, looked at the time on his phone and said something about having to meet his brother for something. Blueberry had gone awfully quiet while the two of you came up with a plan to spend a day together and make the cookies. Blueberry was silent all the way up until Crooks left with a wave.

When it was just the two of you, you put the flour from the cookie bowl into the muffin bowl before going and putting it in the sink. You put away the stuff you wouldn't need and when you came back over, Blueberry was looking around for something on the counter.

“What'cha lookin' for, Blue?”

He looked up at you, seemingly confused. “WHERE IS THE COOKBOOK FOR THE MUFFINS?”

You smiled and tapped your temple with a finger. “It's all up here. I learned how to do this from a...friend of mine when I was a kid.”

“WOWZERS. REALLY?”

You nodded and the two of you went about to make the batter for the muffins. You told him silly stories of the times you had helped the baker growing up. You told him about the first time you had burnt the muffins and had cried for at least twenty minutes before the baker had been able to console you.

You smiled at the memories, and you didn't see the way Blueberry was watching you. He was just...transfixed on your expressions. You were so expressive, and you made it known your love for the baking that you had been taught.

You also didn't treat him like a babybones like most of the others did. He knew he had quite the childlike demeanor of being younger like the other Papyrus personalities. But he was the same age as the other Sans. The only person other than you who acted like that was Papy – no, Stretch. He was Stretch here. Though he did have a slip up once, during the pillow war a couple weeks ago.

But you didn't seem to notice. Blueberry knew better than to underestimate a human; Chara had proven that one too many times. They had dodged all of his puzzles, after all! But you didn't seem to have caught on that something fishy was going on here.

Or maybe you did and just didn't want to bring it up?

He didn't blame you. He wasn't one for the science stuff like the other Sans. Even Stretch was better with the science stuff. Maybe it was just because there was the personality switch there. He didn't know, and he wasn't too worried about it.

He just knew he felt something there. His soul was so happy when you were around. It made him kind of upset that the classic version of himself had been keeping you away from them. He would have to talk to Stretch about this feeling. He wasn't sure what it was.

When you both had put the muffins in the oven, you made your way over to the counter to start cleaning up. Blueberry came next to you, moving a damp rag across the counter space to get the flour and stuff up from the surface. You gathered the remaining dishes and placed them in the sink, running the water over them as you grabbed the soap and a sponge.

You took your phone out of your pocket, taking the earbuds out and placing it on the counter next to you. Music filled the room as you and Blueberry continued to clean up, waiting for the muffins to be done. The smell of blueberries encompassed the room and you took in a deep breath. You were actually glad that the little ball of energy was big on fresh fruits. You didn't like having plain muffins, and using freeze dried fruits never really appealed to you. So when you saw the plethora of fresh fruits in the drawer, you had nearly died with happiness.

Once you were done with the dishes, you dried your hands and checked your phone. You saw you had a text from Morgan come in only a few minutes ago and checked it, turning off the water to the sink.

**M-Dawg:** hey, you available later tonight?

**You:** Yeah, I should be. Why, what's up?

You sent the text back and placed your phone back out and heading over to check on the muffins. They were going good so you went back to help Blueberry put the random things away that were still left over. He seemed quieter than normal, and over the course of the couple weeks you'd been here, you knew that was very unlike him.

“Blue? You alright?”

He startled and looked over at you. His eyelights looked over your face before a grin took over his teeth. He put stuff away, nodding as you handed him things to put back in their proper place.

“OF COURSE. THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE COULDN'T BE BETTER!” he said, puffing out his chest a little bit. “I WAS MERELY MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING WENT BACK INTO ITS PROPER PLACE.”

You smiled at him and went back to your phone, sighing at the text Morgan sent back.

**M-Dawg:** would you mind coming as a backup vocalist and guest tonight? ya promised. :p

**You:** Fine! Is it at the usual bar?

**M-Dawg:** yeah, always. see ya at six!

You rolled your eyes and pocketed your phone. When you looked at Blueberry, he was by the oven, staring into the lit up square. He had his hands pressed to the door and you chuckled.

“The muffins will be done soon,” you chided, causing him to flush a bright, cyan blue. “Can you wait for them for me though? I need to go get changed.”

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” he asked, standing back up on his feet.

“Morgan needs a backup for tonight at the bar, so I told him I'd help,” you said dismissively. “Nothing big. I'll be back down in a moment.”

You went up to your room, passing Stretch on your way up. You gave him a little wave as you continued on. He was chewing on a pencil and had a pad of paper in his hand. He paused his scrutinizing to give you a wave, but then continued on his way, muttering to himself. Must have to do with the project he was helping Sans with.

You got changed, putting on a bra and one of your favorite tank tops that your grandmother had gotten you. You slipped on a pair of your boot cut jeans and your favorite ankle boots. You put on a pair of earrings and paused with your hand over your necklace.

Your grandmother had gotten you this. You hadn't seen her in a long time; maybe it was time you called her up and saw her. You quickly put it on and snapped on your bracelet and grabbed your wallet and keys before running a hand through your blonde locks. You applied just the thinnest amount of eyeliner before nodding at your reflection.

Yeah, this will work.

You head back down the stairs where there was a group of skeletons in the kitchen now, watching as Blueberry pulled out the muffins from the oven. He saw you as you came into the room, grinned and held up the pan.

“MUFFIN! I HAVE PULLED OUT THE MUFFINS!”

Did he just call you a pet name? That was so freaking cute... You supposed you could let it slide, considering Red calls you kitten, and Stretch calls you honey. Even Serif calls you sweets. You let it slide and came over to the group of skeletons, smiling.

Stretch and Sans were there, talking quietly. Edge was standing there with his arms crossed, glaring down at the muffins like they had offended him and Red was beside him, sweating a little. How did they even sweat? Magic, you decided.

Mutt was even there, leaning against the counter space where you had made the batter. He was smoking a dog treat again, purple smoke trailing from the lit up end. The second his eyelights landed on you, a grin spread across his face and he moved, heading toward you. His hands were tucked in his pockets and the purple smoke was curling around his skull as he walked.

“ya lookin' all dolled up,” he said, taking the treat from his mouth.

“I know.” You ignored him for the most part. You were still kind of salty he was only tailing you because Blackberry said so, and not because he actually wanted to be around you. You thought you were a delight to be around. “I'm heading out in a moment. Gonna check to make sure these muffins came out alright.”

You moved past all of the skeletons, but you didn't realize you had drawn all of their attention. Well, Mutt had by pointing out that you were actually trying to look good. Their eyelights studied you as you went to grab a toothpick and proceeded to poke at the muffins. Once each one was given the approval it needed, you stuck the toothpick in your mouth and grabbed your phone, heading for the door.

“I'll be out for a while, so don't wait up, boys!” you called back.

You were met with a bunch of garbled answers that overlapped each other. With a smile, you left the house and put your headphones in your ears again, turning on your music and humming as you walked along the path to the main road.

It was a really nice day out. Halloween was approaching, and you were definitely ready for it. Maybe you could take some of the boys shopping soon? You could look at decorations and costume ideas for everyone. Unless Sans decided he was going to put in as little effort as possible again. You snorted as you remembered the sheet that had two eye holes just big enough for his eyelights and a little bit of his sockets.

You shook your head as you made your way into the city. Friday nights were always busy, you noted. There was always action going on somewhere. This bar was full, that cafe was overflowing. There were a few more police cars out tonight, too. There were a few monsters out, roaming around. You noticed there were some humans that were walking with them, and smiling and joking with them. It made your own smile ease up.

When you got to the bar you frequented with Morgan, Silver Ale, you jogged over to the stage and got onto it, heading behind the curtains to see Morgan and a couple of his friends playing around with their instruments. You waved to them as you came up, Morgan setting aside his guitar as he looked at you.

“Lookin' good, birdie,” he said, wrapping you in a hug.

You laughed. “Thanks. Why so last minute?”

He grimaced. “The last chick we had was one of Daisy's little brats. Called us last minute to fuck us over.” He grinned at you. “But they didn't realize we had you on speed dial.”

You rolled your eyes. “She's being petty as hell, isn't she?” At his hum, you placed your hand on your hip. “Alright, so what are we doing tonight?”

He showed you which songs he wanted to do, and you glared at him when he brought up the last one. He shrugged and tucked his phone away, heading over to the stage to get set up. You groaned and ran a hand over your face.

You hadn't sang that one in a long time. You weren't even sure you remembered the beat, let alone the lyrics. But it was also one you had written for an old boyfriend way back in your high school days. Things had happened, and your heart ached whenever you thought of him. It was the same time you realized your mother truly didn't care.

You turned to head out on stage when you bumped into someone.

“Shit, I'm so – Edge?”

Edge was standing there, looking as stunned to see you as you were him. The two of you stared at each other, but then you noticed movement off to the side. Stretch and Mutt were behind him, leaning around to see what the hold up was. Both of them grinned at you when they saw who it was.

_You have got to be kidding..._

“hey, brat. didn't expect ya t' be comin' here.” Mutt was the first one to speak. You noticed that he didn't have a dog treat in his mouth, but he was playing with one in his hand. “what'cha doin' here?”

“YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING WHERE YOU'RE GOING!” Edge said, crossing his arms. “YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.”

You rolled your eyes. “So sorry. I gotta get.”

You moved around them and ducked away from Mutt, heading out onto the stage with Morgan and the others. You were placed beside him, a microphone in front of you. You made sure it was switched off before you groaned. You were tempted to beat your head against the mic. Morgan was laughing, slapping his knee and his friends were chuckling along with him.

“You knew, didn't you?”

“Duh.”

You could have strangled him in that moment.

Instead, you helped the others make sure they had all of their stuff together, and extra drumsticks because the drummer seemed to have a bad habit of breaking his sticks. You put extra picks off to the side as well. Morgan tended to lose his in the middle of playing and it drove you insane.

You felt eyes on your back as you moved, and you looked from the corner of your eye. All three of the skeletons were watching you, none of them even trying to be discreet about it. You rolled your eyes and went back to what you were doing before Morgan gave you a light tap on the ass. You made an indignant noise and swatted at him while he laughed and strummed a chord.

The first couple of songs, you sat out on. He didn't always do duets, and he didn't always have you sing his songs. But it was nice to watch him be in his element. He was so natural under the spotlight, and you always hoped he would make it bigger than silly bar gigs one day.

When his third song ended, you came over and took up stance on the mic beside him, grinning at him. But when you looked out to the crowd, you almost hit yourself with the mic anyway. You could see all the skeletons from the house here, and Blackberry was even there. He had straightened when you came on the stage, and Blueberry was frantically waving at you in excitement.

With a sigh, you struck up the lyrics.

_**(You)** “Picture perfect memories_

_Scattered all around the floor_

_Reaching for the phone 'cause, I can't fight it anymore.”_

_**(Both)** “And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.”_

_**(You)** “For me it happens all the time.”_

_**(Both)** “It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now_

_Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now_

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.”_

You had the entire bar's attention as you sang. Morgan's eyes were watching you, the glint there making you think he was up to something. But you only smiled at him as the chorus struck up, and you both sang together. Your foot was tapping to the beat, and you could feel the grin on your face as you held the mic in both of your hands.

When the chorus ended, you swayed a little, bouncing on your feet slightly as he took up the next verse.

_**(Morgan)** “Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door_

_Wishing you'd come sweepin' in the way you did before.”_

_**(Both)** “And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.”_

_**(Morgan)** “For me it happens all the time.”_

_**(Both)** “It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk, and I need you now_

_Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now_

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.”_

_**(Morgan)** “Whoa oh whoa.”_

During the instrument break, you danced around on your feet, laughing with Morgan as he grinned and strummed out the chords. You kept the beat going with your hand on your thigh, or your foot to the ground. You felt the stares of the others on you, but it didn't even register to you. You were too busy having fun.

You came back to the mic, putting on your best sad face.

_**(Both)** “Guess I'd rather hurt, than feel nothing at all.”_

_**(You)** “It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.”_

_**(Morgan)** “And I said I wouldn't call, but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.”_

_**(Both)** “And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now_

_I just need you now.”_

_**(You)** “Oh, baby, I need you now.”_

As the song faded, applause went up and Morgan gestured to you. Laughing, you stepped away from the mic and took a sweeping bow. The sounds of whistling brought you back up to a standing position, and you waved to the skeletons in the back. Papyrus and Blueberry were whistling.

When the bar finally quieted, you heard the drummer and the other guitarist quietly talking as they took sips of their water. They adjusting what the needed to while Morgan did the same, passing yo the bottle as he turned back to the mic in front of him.

“So, let's give another round of applause for my amazing friend!” he said. Once it died down again, he continued, “We have one more song, but this one is one of her own pieces! And she will be singing it herself. So, with that...”

Morgan began the song, and you swallowed thickly. This was the first time you had sung the song in years, and you could still see the guy it was about in the back of your mind. You closed your eyes and took in a breath before you opened your mouth.

_“I didn't know what was in store._

_When I walked right through the door._

_Then I saw you over there, our blue eyes locked in a stare._

_I didn't know quite what to say, sometimes words get in the way._

_“I remember the night you said,_

_'Lets go for a ride' I didn't want the night to end._

_Would we be more than friends?_

_Yet little did I know before,_

_We would be something more.”_

The memories seemed to come flooding back, and you couldn't help the smile that graced your face. You felt your cheeks turning pink, you clutched the mic with both hands as your eyes glanced over the crowd in front of you. You caught the eyelights of your housemates in the back, and each one of them seemed riveted by what you were singing.

_“In black and white I read the screen, all your lines and in-between._

_Then your message on the phone, I save to hear when I'm all alone._

_And Now I know just what to say, this doesn't happen everyday,_

_“I remember the night you said,_

_'Lets go for a ride' I didn't want the night to end._

_Would we be more than friends?_

_Yet little did I know before,_

_We would be something more.”_

His laugh came back into your mind, and the way he made you feel. The way it felt when he held you. His crooked smile and the hidden dimple. He had been “from across the tracks”, your mom had put it. But even with his rough ways, he was intelligent and applied himself. He was doing well in school.

You thought you were going to marry that boy.

_“Something more, something more._

_**(Morgan)** (Na na na na, na na na yeah) _

_We would be something more, something more, something more._

_“I know we're both young, but we know how we feel._

_We know what is false, and we know what is real.”_

You had loved him. Everything about him had been perfect. He was your first everything. And you had been the one to help him slowly come together and make his life better. Three years, he had been with you. And never once had he tried to go after the money. No, he had always hated that money. It changed people.

Like it had eventually changed him.

_“And I remember the night you said 'lets go for a ride'_

_I didn't want the night to end_

_“I remember the night you said,_

_'Lets go for a ride' I didn't want the night to end._

_Would we be more than friends?_

_Yet little did I know before, we would be something more._

_“I remember the night you said,_

_'Lets go for a ride' I didn't want the night to end._

_Would we be more than friends?_

_Yet little did I know before, we would be something more._

_“Something more, something more._

_**(Morgan)** (Na na na na, na na na yeah) _

_Something more, something more._

_**(Morgan)** (Na na na na, na na na yeah)” _

The song came to a close, and you shut the memories out with a slam of the door. You grinned wide as more clapping and whistling came. Another bow, and Morgan stood, taking your hand and leading you to the back of the stage area.

Once back there and out of the spotlight, you grabbed a rag from the stack beside the desks and dabbed at your face. Your grin was stuck to your face, even if the memories were haunting you now. You shook it off as Stretch came up and leaned against you.

“ya sounded good, honey,” he said, a sucker stick poking out from between his teeth. He took the stem out and handed you the lollipop attached to it. “real _sweet_ if ya ask me.”

“gotta agree with 'im, brat,” Mutt spoke up, leaning on your other side. “ya really put some feelin' into that.”

“IT WAS DECENT.”

You glanced up at Edge, who was looking away from you and his arms still crossed. You glared at him, rolling your eyes.

“At least I don't sound like I swallowed a cheese grater.”

You'd only really meant to think it. Not actually say anything. But from how Edge's sharp glare turned to you and the way Mutt and Stretch were laughing beside you, you knew you had fucked up and spoke out loud. You really wanted to facepalm yourself in that moment, but you refrained, instead raising a challenging brow to him.

“I WILL JUST HAVE TO SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE THEN,” Edge declared, shouldering past you and the others.

Mutt had finally calmed down, but Stretch was still chuckling, running a hand over his face as he looked to where Edge was storming over to make the drums his home for the next thirty or forty minutes. Mutt followed him out with a wave and a “talk t' ya soon”, and Stretch was beginning to walk away.

“stickin' around?”

“May as well,” you said, shrugging. “No one is going to be home, and I'm pretty sure Morgan is going to want to have the usual drink after the show.”

He nodded. “spend it with the others. i'm sure they'll have something _sweet_ to say.”

He winked at you and you rolled your eyes, moving to leave the backstage area. When you made it down the steps, you were swept up into a hug and you saw a blur of blue lights as you were spun in a circle. You heard your laugh as one of the jovial skeletons spoke.

“Y/N, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!” Papyrus's voice was harsh on your eardrums, and you slapped his humerus. As he set you down, Blueberry helped you try to regain your balance.

“HE'S RIGHT! YOU SOUNDED SO BEAUTIFUL, MUFFIN!” he agreed eagerly. He took your hand in his and began leading you to the table with the other skeletons. Morgan was already there, talking with Red. “COME SIT WITH US WHILE WE WATCH THE OTHERS PLAY!”

When you got to the table, Blueberry sat you between himself and Sans. The latter of the two nudged you with his elbow and slid a drink your way. The smell of the rum and Coke made you sigh and you gratefully took it. After taking a sip you looked around you.

You were kind of disappointed it was only the skeletons from the house and Blackberry. You would have thought all of them would have come out to see the boys play. You shrugged it off as Blackberry turned in his seat to face you, one leg crossed over the other.

“WHY HAVE YOU REFUSED TO TEXT ME BACK?” he demanded. “PETS NEED TO RESPOND TO THEIR MASTERS.”

You scoffed. “I'm not your pet. That's not a thing, okay? You aren't my master, either.”

You're not sure how he did it, but he puffed his cheeks out, crossing his arms as he looked at you. You heard Sans chuckling beside you and felt his arm wrap around your shoulders, bringing you in for a sideways hug. You placed your head on his shoulder, thanking the heavens above that his hoodie was at least comfortable.

“ya sounded good up there, kiddo,” he said softly. “ya feelin' alright?”

You nodded, taking another drink. You were still trying to fight off the memories that the song always brought, but otherwise, you were pumped up. You always felt like this after doing a set with Morgan and his buddies. You had definitely missed it.

There was the sound of a strumming guitar before you looked over to see Stretch messing with mic and Mutt chewing on one of his dog treats. The purple smoke faded as he swallowed it. You cringed; you couldn't imagine that a dog treat on fire would taste good.

They sang through a couple of songs, and you were absolutely riveted. Stretch's voice was smooth, husky. Mutt's voice was just as husky, just a little deeper. His phalanges expertly moved over the guitar, and you watched as Edge easily moved around on the drum set. You watched Stretch move his own fingers over the strings of his guitar.

They were definitely impressive.

You noticed the change of song, and Stretch caught your gaze. He winked at you as Mutt grinned. Oh boy...

_“The club isn't the best place to find a lover_

_So the bar is where I go_

_Me and my friends at the table doing shots_

_Drinking fast and then we talk slow_

_Come over and start up a conversation with just me_

_And trust me I'll give it a chance now_

_Take my hand, stop, put Van the Man on the jukebox_

_And then we start to dance, and now I'm singing like_

_“Girl, you know I want your love_

_Your love was handmade for somebody like me_

_Come on now, follow my lead_

_I may be crazy, don't mind me_

_Say, boy, let's not talk too much_

_Grab on my waist and put that body on me_

_Come on now, follow my lead_

_Come, come on now, follow my lead.”_

Stretch's voice was a perfect for the song, you decided. The way he was watching you as he sang, and the way Mutt even was capturing your attention. You were on the edge of your seat. Hell, even Edge was being impressive with how softly the rough skeleton could beat against the drums.

_“I'm in love with the shape of you_

_We push and pull like a magnet do_

_Although my heart is falling too_

_I'm in love with your body_

_And last night you were in my room_

_And now my bedsheets smell like you_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with the shape of you.”_

You felt shivers going down your spine. Their brothers were watching them with smiles, and Sans still had his arm slung around your shoulders. Papyrus was nursing a drink in his lap and Blueberry was watching his own brother with stars in his sockets.

_“One week in we let the story begin_

_We're going out on our first date \_

_You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat_

_Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate_

_We talk for hours and hours about the sweet and the sour_

_And how your family is doing okay_

_Leave and get in a taxi, then kiss in the backseat_

_Tell the driver make the radio play, and I'm singing like_

_"Girl, you know I want your love_

_Your love was handmade for somebody like me_

_Come on now, follow my lead_

_I may be crazy, don't mind me_

_Say, boy, let's not talk too much_

_Grab on my waist and put that body on me_

_Come on now, follow my lead_

_Come, come on now, follow my lead_

_"I'm in love with the shape of you_

_We push and pull like a magnet do_

_Although my heart is falling too_

_I'm in love with your body_

_And last night you were in my room_

_And now my bedsheets smell like you_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with the shape of you_

_"Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_Come on, be my baby, come on_

_"I'm in love with the shape of you_

_We push and pull like a magnet do_

_Although my heart is falling too_

_I'm in love with your body_

_And last night you were in my room_

_And now my bedsheets smell like you_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_**(Mutt)** Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I _

_I'm in love with your body_

_Every day discovering something brand new_

_I'm in love with the shape of you.”_

The last note was sung with Stretch looking right at you. You could feel your face heating up and you looked away.

They joined you shortly after, and the drinks came flowing out. You don't remember how many drinks you had, but at one point, you were sure you were sitting in the lap of one of the skeletons. You couldn't remember who, though.

In fact, you were pretty sure you ended up in all of their laps at least once. Their smells surrounded you, and you could hear the laughter in your voice. The world felt right in that moment, and it was the first time in a while you felt truly at peace, even if you were plastered.

You remember holding onto the orange hoodie as you told a story. There was a pair of red eyelights that watched as you danced to something on the jukebox. There was a blue bandanna and a red scarf that danced with you. There was a red bandanna that was holding you as you emptied your stomach onto the side of the road. There was sharp, gold toothed grin and a pair of amber eyelights that helped tuck you into bed.

And there was the blue hoodie that stayed with you until you fell asleep. You weren't sure, but it sounded like he apologized to you.

You slipped into a dream world filled with skeletons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blueberry: WHY DOES PAPYRUS HAVE TO DRINK SUCH SUGARY STUFF? THIS IS BAD FOR HIM AND WILL ROT HIS TEETH FROM HIS SKULL. I'M NEVER MAKING HIM ANYTHING SWEET OR FILLED WITH SUGAR.  
> MC: I'mma make cookies _and_ muffins. :)  
> Blueberry: I'LL GLADLY HELP YOU.


	9. Mother Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go dancing, but your mother calls  
> Edge finds out that you don't yank a towel on a woman's head  
> And Sans and Stretch did something to help you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> **IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!**
> 
> So as MY gift to YOU, I'm posting _**TWICE**_. EACH story will have a total of two chapters posted tonight!
> 
> Make sure you follow my Tumblr! You'll get to ask ANY skeleton ANY question you want!
> 
> [Here's my Tumblr!](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (;

You hated yourself.

There was a pounding behind your eyes that wouldn't go away, and your head was throbbing in protest to any movement or noise made. You tugged your blanket up higher to cover your head, groaning as quietly as you could. You were pretty sure it came out as a whimper.

“mornin', kiddo.”

“Shut up,” you whined.

You heard Sans chuckle and there was a rustling of clothes before the blanket was gently pried from your hands. Light invaded your darkness, and you hissed, trying to find the blanket again while keeping your eyes closed. There was another chuckle and you finally peeled your eyes open.

Or tried to. The light was blinding, and a wave of nausea took hold of you as you tried to cover your face. With a click, the room went dark, and you managed to finally peel your eyes open. The curtains had even been drawn, and you were grateful that Sans was here.

“here, take this and drink this.”

Something was pressed into your hand, and you heard a clinking noise from your nightstand. You looked at the pill in your hand and took it between two of your fingers. In fact, you didn't think this was a pill. It looked a lot more like...

“Is this candy?”

“monster candy,” Sans clarified, sitting beside your legs on the bed. He watched as you tried to get yourself into a sitting position, propping yourself against your pillows and headboard. “this should help take care of any aches and bruises you might have.”

“And then what's that?”

Your curiosity is piqued. You were majoring in zoology, but your minor was in the history of monsters. The mere thought of magic just fascinated you, and you wanted to know everything you could about them. You popped the candy in your mouth and the taste of butterscotch melted on your taste buds.

“that's golden flower tea,” Sans replied as you took the cup. “it's supposed to help with the headache you undoubtedly have right now. ya know, before we go down to see the others.”

You gratefully ate the candy, and it was like every ache in your body was just lifted from your shoulders. He talked to you idly, watching as you drank the tea he made. It was wonderfully made, and had a tangy flavor to it. But the more you drank of it, the more you could feel your headache dispersing. It was a welcome relief, and you sighed once it was done.

“Thank you,” you murmured.

“no problem, buddy,” he said. He took the cup and headed for the door. “come down when you're ready. the others are pretty worried about you.”

When the door shut, you held your head in your hands and let out a groan. Why the hell did you drink that much? You never drank that much, even around people you were familiar with. You took in a deep breath and decided you needed a shower. You smelled of vomit, and that only made your stomach roll in protest. You climbed out of bed and made your way into your bathroom.

A quick glance at your reflection made you physically cringe. You were still in the clothes you wore the night before, and you clearly see the puke stains that adorned the front of your shirt. You were praying so hard in the back of your mind that you could get those stains out.

You noticed that your jewelry wasn't on and you panicked, heading back into your room and heading for your dresser. When you saw everything where it needed to be, you blew out a breath and dragged yourself back into the bathroom.

You took the hottest shower you could, scrubbing your hair and trying to get the knots out as best as you could. You grunted with the effort, thankful that Sans had given you that tea to get your headache to go away. Otherwise, this wasn't going to be plausible.

Once you were sure you were clean enough, you stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping your hair in it before wrapping another around yourself. You padded into your room, feeling tons better than you had only moments ago.

“so ya are alive.”

You screeched, picking up the deodorant stick beside you and throwing it in the direction of the voice. Mutt easily dodged it, sitting on your bed and laying back. He was smoking a freaking dog treat again, and invading on your personal space. You glared at him, clutching the towel tighter around your body.

“What the hell, Mutt?”

The only thing he did was shrug. He took a hit of his treat before letting the purple smoke billow from his teeth. “m'lord wanted me t' check on ya. no need t' be a brat about it.”

You pointed a finger at him with the hand that wasn't trying to keep you covered. “I'm not being a brat! Get out! And tell Black he can knock it off!”

You couldn't help but gasp as he was suddenly _right in front of you_. You glanced from the distance between where you were and the bed. There was no way he could have walked it so easily. You glanced back up at him an backed away. And every step you took back, he took one forward.

When you were against the wall, he placed a hand beside your head and used his other one to take the treat out of his mouth. Up close, you could see some lacerations along his bones, and his eye sockets were shuttered all the time. There were even bags under his own eyes, much like what happened with Sans.

He let the smoke slowly billow out from between his teeth. You swatted it away in agitation, still keeping your glare on him.

“y'know, you weren't telling to me to 'get out' last night,” he said quietly.

You could feel your face flaming, but you kept your ground. “I was drunk. So can you please get out of my personal space? I'm trying to get dressed.”

He only chuckled and moved away. “then i'll see ya downstairs, _brat_.”

With that, he left. But...he just seemed to vanish, leaving behind a wisp of purple smoke. You batted it away, letting out an aggravated noise, heading over to grab the deodorant you threw. Once you put that on, you grabbed your clothes for the day. A comfy pair of pants and an over sized tee shirt it was. Once that was done, you put both towels in the bathroom to dry and ran a brush through your damp hair. You weren't even going to bother trying to dry it.

Once you were done, you grabbed your phone and headed downstairs. You heard the TV going in the living room and there was noises coming from the kitchen. You opted for the living room, unsure if you could handle the loud skeletons of the house. When you entered the room, Mutt looked over and smirked at you.

You blatantly ignored him, instead deciding to sit next to Stretch and Red. Neither of them said anything, Stretch moving to wrap his arm around your shoulder and Red knocking his knee against yours. Turns out, Sans and Serif were playing a game, and the others were busy watching while their brothers were in the kitchen making lunch.

The boys were extremely competitive, you learned. While Serif lost a couple of games, Sans was the one to really eat the dirt. He grumbled under his breath and handed the controller to Red, who slid off the couch and sat next to Serif. Once they went through picking out what they wanted, the game started again.

“Why Rocket League?” you asked.

“it was the easiest one to learn when we first got here.”

You looked over at Mutt, missing the empty stares of the other four. “What do you mean?”

Red coughed, bringing your attention over to him. “he means that when we first came to the surface, kitten.”

You made a noise of understanding and all the boys except for Mutt seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief. You leaned back against Stretch, throwing your legs over his as you followed the game with your eyes.

Red and Serif went at it for at least an hour, and you found yourself dozing off against the warmth of Stretch's hoodie. At least, until Edge came into the living room announcing lunch was finally ready. The boys all grumbled, pausing their game so they could go into the dining room. You groaned when Stretch tried to move you, earning you a chuckle.

“c'mon, honey. let's go get something to eat,” he coaxed. “i'm sure your body needs it after the amount you consumed last night.”

You groaned again, but complied, letting him drag you from the couch and walk with you to the dining room. Papyrus was setting down a plate of garlic bread as you entered, steam still rising from them. There were two trays of lasagna, and you looked over to Edge, who was seated at the head of the table again. While there weren't any assigned spots, he always seemed to sit there.

Probably made him feel all powerful or some shit.

You didn't care as you plopped in a seat between Stretch and Mutt. The food was dished out before Serif spoke up.

“it's just gonna be you and i today at the studio, sweets,” he said to you. “tango has a private class in a different part of the city.”

“Shame,” you said after swallowing a mouthful of food. “But that's alright. There's always another day. Which that actually reminds me.”

You brought out your phone and brought up the calendar and put it on the table for everyone to see. When they looked back you, they had looks of confusion on their faces. You sighed, placing your fork into your food before saying anything.

“I'm running really thin with you guys,” you explained. You pointed to the phone. “Three days of the week, I'm in class. Four every other week. Three days, I'm also with Tango and Serif. Edge claimed Mondays for training. I know Red has asked for a day somewhere to hang out and have a game day, and I'd still like to hang out with Sans.” You glanced at Blueberry. “Plus, I think I have a new gardening partner. And I told Crooks I'd hang out with him soon.”

You saw some of them stiffen. “crooks? hang out with him on your own?” Red asked.

“I'm sure Axe will be there, too.”

“that's not comforting,” Serif muttered.

“Guys, it's fine. Crooks wanted to make cookies with me, but he had to go. So I'm going over there to bake with him.”

“i think i'll come with ya.”

Sans looked relaxed, but you could see the tightness of his permagrin. It seemed none of them were comfortable with you being alone with Axe and Crooks. The thought made you a little sad; maybe they didn't trust you around their cousins. You could understand. Sans and Papyrus were the only ones of the bunch who had known you the longest.

But when it came to Sans offering to go with you, that's what really got to you. You thought he would have trusted you by now. It's been a couple of years since you guys became friends. Instead of voicing it, though, you shrugged it off. It had to do with family. You could understand.

During lunch, you planned out what days would go to who. You tried to make sure the days you had classes you would have a little spare time for homework and assignments. And then you had to explain you couldn't just call off work to go have fun with them. Blueberry seemed exceptionally sad over that, but you had to tell him in order to not lose your job, you needed to keep going to it.

“BUT THAT SHOULDN'T MATTER!” he said. “WE COULD HELP YOU AND SUPPORT YOU AND STUFF!”

You shook your head. “I can't do that. I need to be on my feet and doing stuff. Besides, you guys are already giving me a home. I'm not going too mooch off of you, too.”

Once that was settled, you and Serif left for the studio. You waved bye to the others as they began to and start doing their things. Sans took over for Serif in their game, and Papyrus and Blueberry took over doing the dishes.

On your way to the studio, Serif told you about some of the private classes that Tango did. It even brought in a little bit of money, but they didn't really care for that. The way Serif talked about dancing was the same way you had felt about a lot of things in your life before your mother crushed it into dust.

But that wasn't now, and you could enjoy those things again if you really wanted to. When you got to the studio, you spent hours there with Serif. You went between dancing separately to dancing with each other. You could feel the sweat pouring down your back and feel the sting of it in your eyes. And you loved it.

You heard your phone going off and you paused, glancing over to it. No one ever really called you except for one person. You jogged over and grabbed your phone, looking at the caller ID before sighing.

_Here we go again..._

You looked over at Serif. He was having fun with his dancing, so you snuck outside, pressing the green button and bringing the phone up to your ear.

“Hi, mom.”

“Is that all you have to say to me?” your mom immediately dove into the guilt trip route. “You don't talk to me for a month, and then I'm the one who has to call you just so I can speak to you and make sure you're alive?”

You bit back another sigh as you leaned against the building. “Sorry, mom. It's been a little crazy. I meant to call sooner...”

Your mom basically ignores everything you just said as she continues. “I mean, really. I just spoke to Daisy the other day. She talks to me more than you do. When we were you going to tell me you moved out?”

“I didn't move out, mom,” you bit out. “I was _kicked_ out.”

“Now I don't believe that. Daisy is a fantastic girl to be around. Why did you leave her in the house with the nerdy boy and the future drop out? I helped you rent the place and you just leave?”

You were ten minutes into the call and you were ready to throw your phone into traffic. You rubbed your forehead as you heard the door open. You looked over to Serif come out. When his eyelights landed on you, you motioned to your phone and held up a finger. He only nodded, but watched you.

“Cayden isn't a nerd. And Morgan isn't going to drop out, mom,” you sighed. “Daisy isn't that great.”

“She's better at keeping communication going than my own child,” your mother said nonchalantly. “I really don't think she kicked you out. She told me that you were now living with monsters! Y/n, just what are you thinking?”

The disappointment that rang in her tone made your blood boil. You kept yourself in check, even as you idly shifted feet. Maybe they got along better cause their toxic personalities got along splendidly.

You didn't say that, though.

“I was thinking I needed a place to live and my friend, who just so happens to be a monster, said I could stay with him,” you said. “There's nothing wrong with that.”

“You're wasting your life that way, Y/n. You should just come home.”

Oh, now it's really beginning. You could hear the crocodile tears in her voice as she sniffled, and you hand came up to rub your forehead. She did this every single time you talked to her. It was always something, and whatever it was you did always made her cry and “miss” you. You really wished you hadn't kicked the smoking habit.

“I'm not wasting my life, mom.”

You could feel Serif's glare from next to you, and you looked over at him. He looked upset, and he gestured to you and you nodded. You were fine, you were. You were just really tired of all the bullshit your mother felt she had to put you through. This was how it was since the day you left for college, and you had grown used to it by now.

“You are, though, sweetie. Do you understand how much better Yale or Harvard could have been for you? I could have helped you through all of your courses, and you could have had some of the best times there. Think of all the people there who would respect you.”

“Mom, we've been over this – ”

“And yet, you still choose to go to the city that's full of those...things!” She let out a small whine. _Really?_ “They can hurt you, manipulate you. Their magic is still dangerous and unknown and you could seriously be dead for all I know!”

You really needed to wrap this up. It was cutting into your time having fun, and you were ready to chuck the phone as it was.

“Look, I'll come for a visit soon, but that's it,” you said. “Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to what I was doing.”

“And just what would that be?”

“Dancing. The thing you didn't want me to do because I didn't like ballet?”

You hung up without waiting for her reply. The phone instantly began ringing, so you stopped it and shut your phone off. You squeezed it in your hand before turning to face Serif, a big, fake grin on your face. He studied you with the same kind of perceptiveness that Sans usually did. His eyelights took you in before he wordlessly held out a hand.

You gratefully took it, going back inside with him. From there, you left your phone off as you danced your day away, putting your emotions through your dancing.

Serif was astounded by you. He just loved watching the way you moved. The way you seemed to carry yourself, and how you seemed to just relax. The way your body just seemed to flow with the rhythm and the way your eyes sparkled when you pulled off a move correctly.

He could get used to seeing this all the time. Hell, he was already growing used to watching you practice with him. The way you felt in his arms was different from the little brat. And when you had danced with his brother, you had truly looked lively.

Granted, he had been a little on edge. The way the green shirt you had worn that day looked on you reminded him a lot of _them_ and he hated it. It took everything in him to remind himself that it wasn't them. This was Y/n. This was someone entirely different.

And that moronic, classic version of himself had gone and made a small bond with her. He didn't even think Sans knew. But they could all feel it. He heard Blueberry talking about it with Stretch before coming here, and Red and Edge had been discussing it. Hell, he even heard Axe mumbling something about it.

So the bond wasn't just with the different version of Sans. No, it was also with the other Papyrus's as well. Bonds didn't really mean much; they were mostly something akin to a dating reference. The stronger the bond with a person, the more likely you are to date that person. It was something he had garnered from being around humans for the last year and a half.

Monsters were a little different though. You could see the trails of traits on a monster's soul from their bondmate, or the trails of magic on a human's soul from theirs. It was a strange concept, one no one had much information on. But he was willing to explore this strange bond with you.

Everything about you was, to him, perfect. You even treated his brother well. He didn't like humans; he was definitely one of the happier ones who enjoyed not living near any kind of civilization. He preferred living where they do now. Plenty of privacy.

But you were different. He didn't even need to see your soul to know you were different. You were kind hearted and free spirited. The only thing was you seemed to hold yourself back. And he had an inkling it had to do with your mother.

He had watched you leave, but didn't follow you out. Not until you started to sound upset. Then he had come out just to make sure you didn't try and break your phone. He had also heard the way your mother spoke to you. And he had only briefly met this Daisy character, but he didn't like her.

He had Judged her on the spot, and he didn't like the way her soul reacted to his magic. LoVE, but no EXP. That didn't sit well with him, and he had talked to the other three about it at some point as well. They had seen the same thing, and Sans had been trying to think of something for a while now to get you out of there.

And now you were with them. He really wanted to meet your mother, to see what she really thought of them.

After another couple of hours, Serif rounded you up to take you home. You looked ready to drop, and he ushered you out the door. You were slowly making your way down the street while he locked up. You looked up and around, staring at the sunset in front of you.

It was a nice night out, you thought. It was one of those nights were you liked to sit out on the balcony of your room and just stare into the distance and watch as the stars came out at night. You remembered the occasions where your dad would join you and your heart ached.

You should really give him a call.

You and Serif made your way home, the only sound between you the crunching of gravel underneath your shoes. He kept his hands in his hoodie pockets and pulled his hat over his sockets as you walked, and you kept your eyes up at the sky, only pausing every now and then to make sure you could see where you were walking.

When you reached the house, a chorus of “welcome home” greeted you. And it erased everything your mother had said right out of your head.

You really were home.

–

The next day, you got up and got ready for work. You didn't have an opening shift, but you did have to go in only a couple of hours after you opened. Which meant you were going to be jam packed and you were really not looking forward to that on a Sunday morning.

When you got to the first floor, you heard clanging from the kitchen. Pausing, you made your way in there to find Stretch muttering and rubbing his skull. He had one of the cabinets opened and there was a pool of honey bottles that had fallen from the cupboard. You watched in amusement as he looked around him, grumbling about one of the other housemates getting his foot up their coccyx.

“Rough morning?”

He looked over, not startled by your presence. That didn't shock you. With how many times you had tried to sneak up on Sans and he always caught you? You weren't astonished to see that his relatives had the same kind of reflexes and hearing as him. He also looked exhausted, just like Mutt and Sans always seemed to. But the bags under his eyes weren't as pronounced.

“you could say that i'm _tired_ of having pranks pulled on me early in the morning,” he grumbled, using his magic to pick up the bottles all together. “what'cha doing up so early, _honey_?” He punctuated his pun by pointing a bottle of his honey at you.

You snorted a laugh out before heading further in, going to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “I have work today. I'll be gone probably until early evening.”

He made a small noise in the back of his throat. You still weren't show how _skeletons_ could do that, but maybe it was just magic. Not like you ever got answers from Sans. You made your way over to the kitchen archway before you saw a flash of orange side you.

Stretch was walking with you, even as you went to the front door. When you left, he still followed. You finally looked up at him as you went down the pathway to the main road.

“You got something else to say?” you asked.

“nah, just thought i'd walk with ya,” he said, waving his honey around. “it's a nice morning for being fall time.”

You had to agree with him there. It wasn't too chilly, and it could even be mistaken for summer still. You smiled a little, sticking your phone and headphones in your pocket.

“That's true. I still want to get some stuff for Halloween. I have yet to pick out a costume,” you mumbled aloud. “ I still want to go trick or treating this year.”

That caused Stretch to chuckle, and in the back of your mind, you committed the sound to memory. It sounded wonderful and you listened a moment longer until he spoke.

“you still go out and do that?” he asked. At your nod, he chuckled a little again. “fair enough. what were you thinking for this year?”

“I'm not sure,” you said, turning onto the business street where the shop was located. “I mean, I've gone either as a princess or an angel. I went one year as a cat. I think I need to go to a store and figure out some ideas.”

Stretch grinned. “how about we all go?”

You looked up at him, and you could feel your excitement grow as he took a drink of the honey in his hands. “Really? All of us?”

“sure, i don't see why not. the boys don't get out much, but maybe a trip to a store will do some good.”

You miss the bitterness in his voice. But when you got to work, you grinned. “Well, if you want a tea before you go, I'm sure my manager will allow it. She's let me for Papyrus, Red and Serif so far.”

You saw a flash of disappointment cross his face before he sent you another lazy grin, shaking his head. “nah, i'm good. we got some at the house i can make. sans'll be by later to pick you up.”

“Alright. I'll see you later, Stretch.”

He watched you walk in and jog to the counter, giving one of your coworkers a high five as you began talking to them. With that, he turned on his heel and walked down a little ways away before he took a shortcut home. He walked up onto the porch and sat in his usual spot, pulling the smokes out of his hoodie pocket.

As he lit it up and blew out the smoke, his thoughts went back to you. If what he had been hearing was right, then Classic had really gone and fucked up this time. Somehow, he'd managed to create a small bond with you. Even Papyrus had, which is why he, Mutt, Edge and Tango all felt it. Sans...no, Blue. Blue had come to talk to him about it before.

But he had felt it, too. When he had gone with you to your old house, and your laugh rang in the air, he knew. There was just something about you that drew him in, and he finally knew what it was. Why Red had lashed out like he did, and why Sans kept you such a damn secret to the others. The thought alone was just angering to him.

He blew out another plume of smoke as he thought of the way you had looked at him. You didn't know anything. You were clueless as to why all of these skeletons who look like each other want to spend to much time with you. Either because Classic never knew until you came around, or maybe it was because he wanted time to get you for himself. Stretch didn't know, but he wasn't about to let him get his way now.

Stretch had his eye socket on you just like all the other skeletons in the house. He really wanted to get a look at your soul, but he felt like that would be too...intimate now. And he wasn't about to cross boundaries with you just yet.

Red came out, sitting in his usual seat, lighting up his own smoke. There was a bottle of mustard in his hand and both of them sat there, smoking and drinking their condiments. After a moment, Red sighed and rubbed his skull.

“d'ya think he'll actually tell 'er?” he grumbled, stubbing out his cigarette.

Stretch only hummed. “it's possible he might, and it's also possible he might not. guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?”

Red only grunted as he lit up his second one.

–

By the end of my shift, I was ready to punt the nearest child off of a cliff. I could understand bringing in children to our cafe, especially on Sundays. But when you let them run around with hot drinks and crash into people, you shouldn't be getting upset with the workers for not watching your little gremlins.

Newsflash, Linda. You didn't birth the crotch goblins. Which meant, not your monkeys, not your circus.

You were absolutely fed up with the day, and you were ready to just crawl on the couch and watch the boys play some video game or another. Hell, maybe you would join in if they played a first person shooter game. Call of Duty was always your favorite. Then again, shooting zombies in Black Ops sounded good, too.

You grabbed your stuff from the back and yanked off your dirty apron. You trudged out to the front, calling a faint farewell to the people closing for the night. Once you made it to the front, you saw Sans leaning on the window outside the shop, his phone in his hand.

You left the building, and he looked up at you with a grin. One glance over, however, and his teeth turned down in a frown. You gave him a weak smile and shook you head.

“Let's just go home, please?”

He nodded and you both began walking. Night had fallen, and you were grateful for the darkness. You were stressed out, and beginning to reconsider a whole bunch of things.

Your mother had called again on her break, trying to convince you to come home rather than stay with monsters. Daisy had told her just how dangerous they are by relaying how Red had attacked her. She'd failed to mention Red was only trying to defend you, even if he went about it in the worst way possible.

The memory made you smile a little before it wiped off your face.

Then she had carried on about the statistics that had been made about monsters on a secret website saying how all monsters are just in it to get human souls. They lure in their prey by being nice and then pounce when they're unsuspecting. You had rolled your eyes and explained you had been there for almost a month by this point. If they had wanted to do something, they would have done it by now.

That had sent her off on a tangent about how they've brainwashed you. She had started the waterworks. She sobbed into the phone how she was scared she was going to lose “her baby” and that it would crush her if it ever happened. But after that, you didn't hear much. You had put the phone down, opting instead to eat the sandwich you had grabbed for lunch.

Once she realized you weren't paying her any mind, she made up some excuse about needing to head to an important meeting and hung up, miffed that you wouldn't respond to her crying like a toddler. You had at least been able to enjoy the last five minutes of your break without hearing her complain.

Once you had gotten back to work, one of the machines had broken, and you couldn't make any of the frozen coffees. Both you and your manager had tried to fix it, but it was something beyond your expertise. You'd had to call and schedule someone from the company to come fix it, which made your manager extra grumpy the entire day.

“you okay, kiddo?”

Sans's voice broke you from your reverie, and you looked over at him. He had his hands in his pockets, and his eyelights were looking over your face. You gave him a tight smile before sighing and running a hand over your face. You knew you'd never be able to tell him otherwise. He was always good at reading your body language and your expressions. To him, you were an open book.

“Work was just rough today.”

You weren't lying. Between those horrible crotch goblins and the machine breaking, work had been hellacious. But you kept a smile on your face regardless. And even when your mother had called, you had kept going. You were too determined to let any of this get the better of you.

“hm. well, do you work tomorrow?”

“No. I have class tomorrow, but that's it,” you muttered. “They've been cutting my hours back, and I don't know why.”

You thought you knew why. You had a feeling your mother was meddling again where she wasn't needed. If the new ring your manager was wearing was any indication. You knew she didn't have a relationship going, and her kid was still only two years old. There was no way it was a gift from the family she doesn't talk to.

You had a suspicion, but you kept it to yourself. For all you knew, she did have a boyfriend or something and just wasn't saying anything during gossip time. She had her own life, just like you had yours.

“well, why don't we go to the bar? just us,” he clarified. “haven't done that in a while.”

You gave a softer smile as you nodded. “I'm okay with that. I'll let Serif know about it later. I'm just ready to go home and deal with games or something.”

He only chuckled as the two of you made your way up the path to the house. When you walked in, you were met with shouting and the sounds of rushing feet. You squealed as some of the boys came rushing up to you and all of them talking at once. You began to feel overwhelmed as you tried making out what they were saying.

“guys, knock it off,” Sans growled. “give er some room to _breathe_ , wouldja? stars, guys.”

“sorry, sweets,” Serif said, moving away quick as he came up.

The others backed off as Papyrus and Tango peeked out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. You took a moment just to think about how similar they looked, and it began to bother you again that something just didn't seem quite right. But you didn't dwell on it while they spoke.

“MISS Y/N! ARE YOU HUNGRY?”

Papyrus's formality always made you smile, and you nodded. You let your hair out of the ponytail it was in, heading for the stairs. “Yeah, let me just get cleaned up from work. I'll be back down in twenty or so minutes.”

With that, you climbed up the stairs to your room and shut the door, sighing. You went through the motions of grabbing new clothes and jumping into the shower to clean off. When you were done, you threw all of your dirty things in the hamper and kept your hair in the towel. You got dressed and grabbed your phone before heading out and going back down to the first floor.

Dinner was being served, and the smell of meatloaf wafted through the air. You felt your stomach growl as you sat down. Red plopped next to you today, and then Papyrus plopped on your other side. You noticed they tended to take turns, even if they seemed like they didn't want to, when it came to sitting next to you.

As everyone ate, you could feel their stares being directed at the towel on your head. Well, except for Papyrus and Sans. They already knew you wrapped your hair up in the towel after watching you do it a couple of times. Now you were wondering when the others were going to ask about it.

“HUMAN, WHY ARE YOU WEARING THE TOWEL ON YOUR HEAD?” Edge had finally come in, scowling. “THERE IS NO NEED FOR SUCH NONSENSE. TAKE IT OFF.”

I glared over at him. “No.”

Instead of saying anything, he reached over and grabbed a handful of towel. Before I could say anything or protest, he gave a sharp yank, which resulted in a loud yelp of pain. There was the clatter of forks on plates and Edge reeled back, letting go of the towel. When you looked up, all of the other skeletons were watching you with wide eye sockets, their eyelights shrunk.

The towel was coming loose now, so you sighed. You got out of your chair, bending over a little as you took the towel off. There were noises behind you as the boys who were unfamiliar with this came over to see what you were doing as you wrapped the towel back around your hair and twisted, throwing it back and tucking it so it would stay in place.

When you turned to go back to your seat, you saw five pairs of eyelights on you. Not even on you, but on the towel on your head. When you looked over your shoulder, Edge was also staring, looking partially curious and partially horrified at what had just transpired.

_Adorable._

You sat back in your seat, but before you could touch your food again, you were bombarded with questions.

“what the hell was that?”

“JUST WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME DO TO YOU?”

“did he just rip your hair out?”

“HUMAN FRIEND, WHY IS YOUR HAIR _IN_ THE TOWEL?”

You waved your hands, trying to get them all to quiet down before sighing. “I'm drying my hair in a towel. But my hair is longer, so I put it up in the towel and keep it there till I'm ready to take it down.”

“explains why th' others don't do that,” Red muttered.

When you were about to ask him what he meant, Edge stomped over to his seat and sat down heavily, crossing his arms and staring at the plate in front of him. He looked highly disgruntled, and you hid the smile behind your hands.

“THAT WAS HIGHLY DISTURBING,” he finally said, glaring at you. “TRY NOT DOING SILLY HUMAN THINGS LIKE THAT!”

You huffed, spearing a piece of your meatloaf and grabbing some potatoes to go with the bite. “Yeah, because that's going to happen.”

“GOOD. SEE THAT IT DOES!”

The sarcasm went right over his head. You weren't really surprised as you continued to eat, telling the boys about your day at work. Blueberry seemed absolutely horrified at the idea of a little kid getting hurt because their parental unit wasn't paying attention to them.

Once dinner was done, you helped Papyrus gather up everything as Blueberry gathered all the extra food. While he and Tango put it away in containers, you and Papyrus did the dishes while Edge wiped down the dinner table. There was a little chatter going on between the five of you as you worked. You noticed that sometimes the others seemed to stare at you a little more when you talked, and that they seemed to try and brush up against you as much as possible.

You didn't mind it. You liked the connection you felt with them. It made you feel safer, more at home with them.

Once that was done, you made your way to your room when Stretch and Sans stopped you on the second floor.

“hey, kiddo.”

You looked over to see the office door open, Stretch leaning in the door way with a sucker stem sticking out of his mouth. Sans's voice is what had drawn you in, and you made your way over to the door and poked your head around Stretch. The smell of cigarettes and honey filled your senses, but you didn't mind it. It was an oddly...alluring scent.

“What's up?”

“c'mere for a second, would you?”

You entered the room and moved to sit down in the chair across from him when he waved a hand toward himself. Curiously, you made your way around the desk to see what he had pulled up on his screen. There was a calendar and it looked to be color coded with names and what was going on.

“so after ya left this morning, the guys and i all sat down and went over what we could do to lighten the load on you,” he said, waving his hand at the screen. “so, in order to keep everything fair and orderly, paps suggested we try and map how who gets what day and stuff. no one will fight, and we made it as even as we could.”

You bent over the desk and studied the screen. It was color coded to fit each person's magic. There were two indigo spots on Tuesdays and Saturdays along with a tangerine color that I could only assume were Serif and Tango. Fridays had a blue dot that you was sure was Sans. Mondays had a crimson dot that you knew were Edge. Sundays had a bright cyan blue dot that was certainly Blueberry. There was even and orange dot beside the blue ones, making you think it was probably Papyrus. Then there was a cherry red dot on Wednesdays that was probably Red. And a deep orange that was probably Stretch for Thursdays.

“Wow. You guys really went through the trouble,” you said, moving back.

“we knew you wanted to spend time with everyone, and this was the best we could come up with,” Stretch said from behind you. You turned to see him lounging on the couch. “we'll have everything start next week, since we're all going shopping tomorrow when you get out of class.”

You smiled and glanced at the two of them before reaching down to give Sans a tight hug. He made a little noise before wrapping his arms around you, giving you a gentle squeeze back. You let him go and turned to hug Stretch. He seemed caught off guard, but easily wrapped his arms around you, encasing you in that smoky, honey scent.

“Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stretch: I'm so tired of having them do this to me. why pull a prank first thing in the morning? what's the point?  
> MC: *walking to work* I love Halloween. I wanna go shopping.  
> Stretch: fuck these pranks, we're going shopping.


	10. Let's Go To The Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mall trip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's this thing I did. I'm going to bed now. It's three in the morning and I've been talking to my twin the entire time. xD  
> Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Follow my Tumblr! <3  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele

When you got out of class the next day, you practically ran home. You were fed up with the day, and ready to take your favorite skeletons shopping. Daisy had been quick to start rumors, and you had easily shut each one of them down. There was no way you were going to let her keep you down.

When you got home, you called out your arrival before heading upstairs to change and put your bag down. You changed into a pair of jeans and put on a tank top before grabbing one of your zip up hoodies and your wallet. Once you made you sure you tucked your phone into your back pocket, you went back downstairs and headed into the living room.

Everyone was already gathered, and Crooks, Axe, Blackberry and Mutt were even over. They were all watching something on the TV, but once you made your appearance, your housemates started getting up and coming over to you.

“where you going?” Axe asked, looking over with that single red eyelight.

“Shopping for Halloween stuff,” you answered, heading toward the door with the others. “We'll be back later.”

“YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOUR MASTER HERE WITH THESE CRETINS?” Blackberry said, sounding completely offended. “I SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU. NO PET SHOULD BE WITHOUT THEIR MASTER.”

“Oh, for the last time,” you grumbled, not really wanting to get into this again. “Fine. You guys can come, too.” You looked over at Axe and Crooks as the other two got up. You didn't miss the way Crooks seemed to deflate, and Axe looked kind of put off. You gave them a smile. “You two want to come as well?”

Christ, you loved the way Crooks seemed to brighten up at the prospect. He turned to his brother and held his hands together. Axe seemed more relaxed now, a smile growing across his skull. He still wore the beanie, and he had a habit of tugging it down on the side with the single eyelight. You had to admit your curiosity was spiking, but you didn't ask.

“sure. i don't see why we can't.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

You looked over in surprise at Edge, who had taken on a look of horror. Neither of the two skeletons paused in their actions though as they got up, coming to join the group. You now glanced at all of the boys, seeing various stages of unease. You sighed and shook your head.

“Get over it. They're coming with us.”

On your way out the door, you noticed Sans had tugged Axe away and was whispering something to him you couldn't quite make out. You noticed just how alike they really were. You chewed on your lip as you, once again, ignored that nagging feeling in the back of your mind. You'd known Sans for almost two years by now. Surely if something was going on, he'd tell you.

Right?

You paused when the boys began to veer off, heading off to different vehicles. You hadn't noticed them really before, but you guess they kept them somewhere different unless they knew they were going somewhere. Edge and Red went over to a black convertible, and Papyrus, San, Axe and Crooks all went to a red one. Blueberry and Blackberry went to a couple of motorcycles, their respective brothers hopping on the back.

You would never have pegged Blueberry for a motorcycle type of skeleton.

You decided to follow after Edge and Red, much to Red's enjoyment. Sans sent a mass text to everyone, telling them to go a few towns over to where there was a mall and a monster friendly environment. After getting confirmation from everyone, Blue and Black roared their bikes to life, and you watched in mild amusement as Mutt and Stretch stared each other down.

On the ride to the mall, you watched as the bikes seemed to...just blip out of existence and then reappear farther ahead of the other. You weren't sure, and you heard Red grumbling about them showing off at some point to Edge who only nodded in agreement. You shook your head as you all pulled into the parking lot of the mall.

It had been at least a four hour drive, but when you glanced at the clock, you blinked in confusion. It had only taken two, tops. You glanced around, but no one made a comment as everyone piled out. Instead, Red helped you out of the car and you stretched your legs, groaning.

“Totally call front seat on the way back,” you told him as you stood.

He shrugged and you moved to join the rest of the group. Everyone had gathered around, and you could hear Sans admonished Blueberry like he was a child. Stretch was standing behind him, his sockets narrowed as he glared down at Sans.

“'hey, don't talk my bro like that,” he finally snapped. “talk to the little tyrant, too.”

“THE MALEVOLENT SA – BLACKBERRY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN,” the tyrant said. “I WAS OBEYING THE LAWS.”

Stretch rounded on him with a surprising quickness and Mutt moved to stand in front of him, swiftly blocking Blackberry from Stretch's ire. Blueberry and Blackberry were glaring at each other and the edgier of the two flipped off the other.

What the fuck.

“Children,” you said, clapping. You drew everyone's attention. “We're supposed to be having fun? Not arguing?”

The others nodded, staring at the four of them. Axe was grinning, but he was shifting from one slippered foot to the other. He was looking around with that single eyelight, and he looked highly uncomfortable. You glanced over as the other began walking, Crooks heading to catch up to Papyrus and Blueberry.

You went over to him as you both began to walk behind them. “You okay?”

He looked over at you, his eyelight shrinking in shock. He chuckled after a minute, turning to face ahead and nodded.

“yea, kiddo, i'm fine. just, ah, not fond of _crooks_ being out in open spaces like this.”

You scowled. The way he spat Crooks's name out made you wonder if he was mad at his brother or something. Again, you didn't want to ask. You already felt like you were intruding on their lives enough as it was. Instead you gave him a smile and a nod.

“I can understand. You guys all seem protective over your brothers,” you said quietly. “Keep an _eye_ out, but make sure you have fun, too.” You tapped the side of his skull without an eyelight.

He stopped walking completely and stared at you. You paused with him, beginning to get nervous. Did you overstep your boundaries? Maybe he didn't like talking about his empty socket, and you had totally just offended him.

 _Way to go, Y/n,_ you groaned mentally.

Instead of acting offended, however, he started laughing, drawing everyone else's attention. The deep timber of his voice sent chills down your spine, and you couldn't help but crack a small, nervous smile as he continued laughing. Crooks was looking back at his brother in surprise, but there was a certain kind of happiness on his skull.

“oh, kiddo, that's rich,” Axe muttered, walking with you again. The others began moving again, but you could see Sans moving back a little. “i like hanging out with you already.”

“so do the rest of us,” Sans suddenly piped up, glancing over his shoulder at his cousin. “y/n, do you know where the halloween store is exactly?”

You nodded and clapped your hands with a bright smile on your face. You ran to catch up to the more exuberant of the skeletons, who were waiting for you at the doors. Sans and Axe fell a ways behind before Sans looked at Axe, glaring at him.

It wasn't fair, Axe thought to himself. His hands clenched a little tighter in his hoodie pockets, which would have had the same vibrancy as Sans's had his timeline not been so _fucked_. Had that little backstabbing _brat_ not betrayed him or his brother. Papyrus. He didn't care what the others said; his brother was Papyrus. And he'd be damned to call him anything else.

“don't get attached,” his normal counterpart said simply, going to walk ahead. “she isn't yours to mess around with like those other...humans.”

Axe snickered, causing Sans to pause in his tracks. “you just want her for yourself. isn't that right?” he asked, his hand, gripping the edge of his unlit socket and giving a tug. It was horribly uncomfortable, but it helped ground him to whatever reality he was in. “hell, you know what you did and you know it affects the rest of us, too.”

“doesn't mean you need to pursue it,” Sans hissed now. “bonds mean nothing; they're just there to give probability of which couple would work the best.”

Axe's grin almost turned manic as his hand dropped. He glared at Sans with that single eyelight, and watched as his counterpart shifted from one foot to the other. He also noticed with a small grain of satisfaction how Sans wouldn't even look at him. He could see just how bad he had failed Papyrus with this version of himself.

And some sick part of Axe really enjoyed that.

“then i guess it's all of us against each other, huh, _buddy_?” Axe chuckled, shouldering past Sans. “better go catch up to the others. y/n might think something is amiss.”

In fact, you were busy trying to make sure all of the skeletons stayed together. Sans seemed to never let them out of their houses. Crooks, however, was the one you really had to keep an eye on. Every time you looked away, he was off wandering somewhere again. There were a few stares, but nothing too bad. It was mostly either them gaping at his sheer size, or maybe even the crooked teeth. But no one outright said anything to him, so you guessed that was a good start.

When Axe and Sans made their way back to you, Sans looked really irked and uncomfortable, and Axe had a giant grin on his face. You wondered what they had talked about, but you shook it off and dd the final head count before nodding and corraling your skeleton friends toward the Halloween store.

It was on a totally different side of the store, and trying to convince the others not going into other stores was hard enough. Especially when Red saw the special side of Spencer's. You managed to get him away from the store, even catching him as he tried to sneak off thirty seconds later. You thought about grabbing a leash and attaching it to his collar, but you thought better of it.

He'd probably like that.

You made your way around the kiosks, watching as some of the boys stopped to admire some of the jewelry in one. Thankfully, the woman working it only seemed thrown off for a second before she pasted on a smile and helped them out. You waited for them as she explained prices and durability and the different kinds of materials and gems. It was actually really sweet, especially when Blueberry pressed one of his gloved fingers to the glass and asked a bunch of rapid fire questions.

“bro, let the lady answer one at a time, yeah?” Stretch said, chewing on a sucker. He gave a lazy grin to the woman behind the counter of the kiosk. “sorry bout my bro. he gets easily excited.”

The woman seemed dazed for a moment while she shook her head. She finally managed to snap out of his, her cheeks turning a rosy pink before she cleared her throat and gave another smile. “No, no it's alright. He's better than a lot of the kids that come around these parts.”

Stretch just winked and you thought the woman would faint right then and there. You hid a smile behind your hand as he came back over to your little group, high fiving on the way to his seat beside Sans. Classic.

After another twenty minutes of peppering the poor woman with more questions, the boys finally made their way back over to your group. None of them were carrying bags, so you figured it was safe to say that none of them had bought anything. You got up from your seat and went to make your way on your journey to the store once more.

“SANS! NOT AGAIN!”

You turned around to see Papyrus huffing as he picked his brother up, adjusting him so he was on his back being carried piggy back style. Sans had, somehow, managed to fall asleep sitting there waiting for them to finish their perusing. You gave a small smile as Red said something that made Stretch chuckle.

Your group made its way over to the store and Crooks practically dove inside, instantly excited about all of the costumes he saw the mannequins wearing. Axe meandered behind him, calling out a lazy “wait up, bro”. One by one, they all filtered in. You followed behind Papyrus, who was beginning to set Sans down as he began to come to.

“Morning, sleepy head,” you chirped at him.

He sent you a small glare before a smile tilted up the corner of his permagrin. You chuckled and made your way over to the costumes. All of the others seemed to have gravitated over there, and you could see all of the boys looking through the costumes. You felt kind of bad for Crooks; he was so tall, you didn't think he would find anything in his size.

You went down an aisle that didn't have any skeletons in it and looked through some of the costumes. They were all the generic costumes you could find in any store. Vampire, princess, zombie, some kind of Minecraft monster. There were a few you hadn't seen in a while, but you could tell they were just the regular ones you had grown used to.

You moved into another area and looked through more things there. You could hear the boys talking somewhere in the distance, but paid them no mind. Instead, you let your mind wander to, once again, just how similar they were.

There was just something about they way they acted, and the way they looked, that just struck a cord with you. It was like they were each the same person, but...different. Alternate. Something different in each one. You were beginning to get a headache from thinking about it.

But you couldn't help but notice it. Especially when they were all together like this. Plus, you couldn't get over just how _alike_ Axe and Sans really looked. Sure, the other smaller skeletons, and Stretch and Mutt even, either looked and/or had the same personality as your lazy best friend. But something about Axe just _screamed_ they were the exact same person.

“whatcha thinking so hard about, sweets?”

You yelped, taking a plastic sword from its hanger and whipping it around. Serif stood behind you, having stepped a good foot away from you when you had whirled around with the sword. His eyelights shrank for a brief moment before he seemed to pull himself out of whatever he was seeing and gave me a small smile.

“sorry, didn't mean to scare ya _right out of your skin_ ,” he joked, his voice tight.

You withdrew the sword holding it to your chest for a minute before rubbing the back of your head. “Sorry. Was thinking about how you and the others resemble Sans and Papyrus. A lot.”

He seemed taken aback before his small smile turned into a shit eating grin. You didn't understand, but you guessed it was funny to him. They probably got that a lot. It must have just been genetics; it was the only thing that made sense to you at this point. Unless they really were all the same person from alternate realities.

Psh. Yeah, right.

You put the sword back before saying, “So have you picked anything out for Halloween? I know Sans mentioned you guys usually have a party with some of your other relatives.”

Serif made a small noise and you turned to see him shrugging. You glared at him. You knew instantly he wasn't going to put effort into whatever he had planned. Sans did the same thing last year when you and him took Papyrus and Frisk out trick or treating. He had simply put on a bear onsie and claimed he was good to go.

Cripes.

“not sure yet,” he said. “have you decided anything?”

You shook your head. “Everything here is the generic stuff, and I don't want to do anything like that this year. I want something that will really stick out.”

“THEN WHY NOT COMBINE SOME STUFF TOGETHER?”

You turned to see Papyrus coming up behind you, pointing out different things as he explained what you could do. But none of it sounded good to you. You hummed here and there, but you couldn't keep focus. It just wasn't what you wanted for this year. After letting them know you'll figure it out, you made your way around the store again to see Edge over by a whole bunch of skeleton based stuff, his expression absolutely priceless.

“You okay, Edge?” you asked as you came up next to him.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he declared. He snagged a skeleton off of one of the shelves and held it in front of your face. “THIS IS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE.”

“Edge, it's Halloween. This isn't unusual.”

“IT'S DESPICABLE,” Edge claimed. “YOU CAN'T JUST HANG NAKED SKELETONS AROUND THE HOUSE.”

“Watch me,” you countered.

With that, you gathered a couple of the skeletons while Edge watched you with horror. He made some comment about how he thought he was cruel, but you topped him. You cracked up, moving around to search for some more stuff to use, and definitely try to find some inspiration.

You picked up a few pumpkin and bat string lights, picking out some plastic pumpkins and a couple of Halloween based dish rags. You spotted a bowl that had a bunch of bats and gravestones on it, so you snagged that as well. You picked up a few yard decorations, too. Once you were done, one of the boys had to help you carry everything.

And, as you were checking out, a thought struck you and you smacked the heel of your head against your forehead.

“OH MY GOODNESS, MISS (Y/N), ARE YOU OKAY?” Blueberry asked, his voice coming out in a shocked squeak.

You chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, I'm good. Just realized I have an idea for my costume. But it's gonna be a surprise!” you said, pointing at a couple of them.

They all rolled their eyelights as you paid for your stuff. Once everything was taken care of, you went to reach for the bags only to see Stretch and Axe carrying them out of the store. You called after them, but they paid you no mind. You sighed and shook your head, taking in a head count. You paused, doing it one more time before grumbling.

“Where's Red?” you demanded.

By the knowing smirk on Blackberry and Axe's faces, you looked around again. Fuck, Mutt was missing, too. You groaned and made your way through the mall back to the one place you knew both of those boneheads would be at.

Sure enough, the second you entered Spencer's, Mutt was beside Blackberry's side, whispering something to him. Red was meandering his own way over, a shit eating grin in place and a bag hanging off his arm. You watched as Blackberry and Mutt strode off into the back part of the store before turning to face Red.

“Why did you come here? I thought you were going to look for a costume,” you groaned. “Don't tell me. You're going to put in as little effort as possible?”

“ya already know me so well, kitten.”

You groaned again and made your way out of the store. Your bank account was already crying from the decorations you bought, and even though you really wanted that cute Pikachu backpack, you couldn't afford it. So you trudged out of the store and sat on a bench, waiting for Black and Mutt to do whatever it was they were doing.

When they finally came out, Mutt carrying a pretty full bag, you headed for the food court. You were hungry, and you wanted to get something to eat. But you couldn't decide what to get. There were tacos and pizza. There some Chinese and you were sure that was a sushi stand on the one end. There was even a few fast food places set up in the large area.

And apparently, you weren't the only one who was unsure. You could hear the boys muttering amongst themselves. You deliberated for a moment before deciding on pizza. It had been a while since you'd had any, let along any from the mall. The louder bout of boys refused to let that “greasy garbage” enter their home. It made you laugh a little as you made your way over to it.

You went through the line, ordering a little more than you probably thought you should have. The pizza slices were huge, and their cheese sticks looked to die for. Once you paid, you went over to a large round table and sat down, placing your stuff in front of you. You bit into one of the cheese sticks before the boys even made it back to the table and moaned.

It was so good.

“can't be that good.”

You squeaked as Axe siddled up beside you, placing down his own tray...or three. He had decided to go with tacos, Chinese, and a couple of burgers from one of the fast food areas. He had one large drink from the taco place and a few fries spilled onto the tray. You chuckled, motioning to his food with yours.

“It is. That's a lot of food. You gonna be able to finish it all?” you inquired.

He snorted through his naval cavity. “i never let food go to waste.”

You could instantly tell there was a story behind it, but you didn't push to learn more as he took a giant bite of noodles. You shrugged and continued eating your cheese stick as the others came over and began gathering around the table. You ended up seated between Axe and Sans. You studied each of their plates and noticed even Crooks's plate was piled high with more than once place.

Everyone talked while they ate, but you could tell there was a tension among them. Anytime Axe brought his fork anywhere near me, the others, minus Crooks, would watch him like a hawk. You didn't understand it, but you didn't care to demand answers you weren't privy to. It just solidified the fact there was stuff going on here and you were determined to figure out what it was now.

Once everyone was done eating, they all decided to go and split off from each other. You stuck with Sans and Papyrus while everyone ventured off into the huge mall. It was two stories, and you decided you needed to go check out something in a store. You knew you were gonna need another bag for your trip to the zoo coming up, so you gathered the two you stuck with and went over to the escalators.

“WOWIE. A TRIP TO THE ZOO?” Papyrus said, excited. “I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE! I HEAR THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS!”

You nodded, stepping off the escalator as you made your way to the store. “Yeah. Lots. Some zoos have more animals than others, but the one in the town over has a pretty big one. My biology professor is gonna be out that day, so she had her substitute take us out that way.”

“sounds like something you'd do in high school,” Sans commented.

“Professor doesn't trust subs to give us the proper lessons. So this is more of a 'learn your lessons this way and we'll discuss findings when I get back' kind of deal,” you explained. “I need some stuff to take with me.”

“don't tell me another bag,” Sans muttered. “you already got too many of those.”

You scoffed. “Of course I need another one. I'll have to wait to get it, but I can at least look at some stuff.”

“WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT?” Papyrus asked.

“Because I don't have the money for it,” you said nonchalantly. “So I have to save up the money to get it.”

Neither skeleton said anything as they entered the store with you, but they did share a look. You wandered around the store for a minute, looking at some clothing and hiking gear. Maybe you could go hiking again, soon. It had been a long time since you'd done that.

When you got to the bags, you went through each one. You didn't need anything too big, but something that could carry a couple of water bottles, maybe a hoodie since it would be a bit chillier. You would also need some snacks and stuff like that. Maybe a few pouches for juice or something...

You hummed to yourself as you perused the bags, glancing at each one before deciding on one. It was small enough, but you could fit a few things in there if you packed it right. You checked the price and winced. It was one of the few times you wished you had agreed to take your dad's offer on having an allowance while in school. But you knew you needed to make your own way, and taking their money would have felt like cheating.

You put it back on the shelf and motioned to the boys with your head. Papyrus followed, but Sans said he wanted to check something out. You shrugged, saying you would be in the pet store so Papyrus could play with the puppies and kittens. While the taller, louder skeleton then made a mad dash for the pet store across the way, you pinned Sans with a stare.

“No buying things,” you said slowly.

“sure.”

“I mean it.”

“ok.”

You groaned and made your way out the store, going to join Papyrus to play with the baby animals. You found him playing with a small black kitten, trying to tell it no as it grabbed his glove and yanking. You hid a smile behind your hand as you moved into the little cubby, locking the door firmly behind you.

You sat beside the taller skeleton and played with kitten yourself. He was so small, and he was all claws. They reminded you more of talons than claws. You smiled as you played with him, and scratched under his little chin. Judging by his size and the little bit of wet food stuck to his fur, he couldn't be more than a couple months old.

You didn't see the way Papyrus watched you like you were the only thing in the room. Your laughter filled the area around you, and it seemed everyone was watching the way you lit up. The way you played with the kitten was tugging at something in his soul, and he knew he needed to see this more often.

He missed you a lot when he didn't get to see you. Sans didn't want him going over to your house because of the really rude girl you had been living with. Even you said you didn't want him over there. And he had understood. But not being able to see you had really put a damper on his mood for a while.

At least until he figured he'd be able to visit you at work. He always enjoyed those talks during your break and enjoyed watching you move around while you were on the clock. You had a work ethic that could almost rival his own! And the Great Papyrus had a formidable work ethic!

The mental picture he took of you just then, playing with this tiny creature with loud cries, would be forever burned into his skull. He adored seeing you with this smile on your face and not the frown you always seem to have plastered on your lips.

You looked up at him and smiled now, holding the kitten out to him as you started getting up.

“I'll be right back. Keep little guy busy while I go to the bathroom.”

You got up and left as Sans was coming into the store. You glared at him, looking to see if he had a bag of some sort with him. When he came up clean, you let him know where you were going before disappearing and heading for the nearest bathroom. You did your business and quickly went to wash your hands.

When you looked in the mirror, you smiled a little. This was probably the healthiest you looked in months. You had a small glow to your skin, and your eyes had gained a little bit of their life back. You had gained a few pounds, that was definitely certain. But your dancing with Serif and Tango had kept your figure slim. But you didn't look sickly, like you had just a year prior. You actually looked like you were human.

When you dried your hands, you got more of the excess water off and headed out to the pet store again when you ran into someone. You stumbled for a moment before a hand reached out for you and steadied you. You breathed out a sigh.

“Thanks, I'm so sorry about that.”

“probably should learn to keep your head up while you're walking, honey.”

You snapped your head over to see Stretch grinning down at you, a sucker stem between his teeth. He shifted the side it was on before you shook yourself and sighed, rubbing your face. You gave him a smile before shrugging.

“Well, since it's you, I don't feel as bad,” you said playfully, shrugging.

He held a hand to his sternum in mock hurt. “now that's not very _sweet_ of you,” he said, his face going crestfallen. You hid back a smile. “now i'll have to go tell blue you hurt my feelings and then he'll be upset.”

Your eyes grew wide as he turned on his heels and lazily made his way to whatever store the little ball of energy was. You chased after him, completely forgetting about Papyrus and Sans. Even with his lazy gait, it was hard to catch up to him with the longer strides. You weren't short, but he definitely made you feel like you were.

When you finally caught up to him, he was about to turn into the arcade. Your fingers grazed his hoodie before he seemed to appear just a couple inches ahead of you. You glared, confused as to how he managed to get that far without even going any faster than his usual lazy meandering. You marched after him as he came upon his brother playing on a pinball machine.

“blue, you'll never guess what (y/n) said to me.”

Blueberry glanced over briefly, his eyelights becoming stars as they landed on you before going back to his game. “WHAT DID OUR WONDERFUL HUMAN FRIEND DO TO YOU?”

“she ran into me. and she isn't even sorry over it.” he said, sighing dramatically and drapping himself over the pinball machine.

As he did that, Blue let out an indignant shout as the silver ball fell through, and he was unable to get it, or even see it, until it was too late. The ball fell into the hole at the bottom of the machine and it let out the usual noises when you lost. Instead of getting off the machine, Stretch just flopped over onto his nonexistent stomach and glanced up at his brother.

“heh. sorry, bro.”

“PAPY, COME ON!”

You missed that, and Stretch took notice. While Blue threw his fit, you went up behind them and leaned around Blue, raising a brow at the taller of the brothers. “This is why I'm not sorry.”

Blue huffed, crossing his arms and letting his cheeks puff out. You'd seen him do it before, but it still made you wonder how a _skeleton_ could puff their cheeks out. You simply chalked it up to magic at this point and shook your head as Blueberry lectured his elder brother on manners when someone is in the middle of a game.

After he was done, you dragged Stretch off of the machine. Which was really difficult even if he was just a bunch of bones where clothes. You grunted as he leaned against you, which proved to be difficult since he was definitely much taller than you. You laughed as you tried dragging him over to one of the racing games in the corner, practically having to peel him off of you to get him to sit down.

“Jeez, Stretch, what are you? A leech?” you laughed, trying your best to remove his linked hands from around your waist.

“this is payment for being rude to me,” Stretch said lazily, bringing you closer.

You practically fell into his lap and the smell of honey and cigarettes filled your senses. While you didn't mind the smell of cigarettes, you weren't exactly fond of them. The smell was putrid as it was, but mixing with the scent of sweet honey, it was familiar to you now. You felt yourself growing lax in his arms, looking up at him coyly. It reminded you of those silly romance novels you used to read as a teenager.

He was looking down at you, his eyelights grown slightly in his sockets. You licked your lips without thought, and his eyelights shot to your mouth. You didn't know what to do, and you didn't know if it was you moving in for him, or him moving in for you.

Before your mouth touched his teeth, just another millisecond, Blue's angry shout came from not far off and broke the spell. You nearly ripped yourself out of his arms as you stumbled back. He looked like he was about to say something, but you you could feel your face heat as you stammered out a silly excuse and practically ran from the arcade.

Once you made it out, you went to a different part of the mall before leaning against the wall and taking in a deep breath. In fact, you took several deep breaths as your brain replayed what had just happened.

Holy shit.

You had almost kissed Stretch.

How do you even kiss a skeleton?

Your mind replayed the scene over and over in the span of a minute before you shook it completely from your thoughts. You didn't need to think about that now. You just silently thanked Blue for shouting when he did. Well, kind of. There was still a part of you that had wondered what kissing Stretch would have been like.

Every skeleton you had met so far had a personality of their own, and it had your thoughts straying in a totally different direction than you wanted it to go.

“Ugh, enough,” you muttered to yourself. “Get yourself together and go check on the others since you abandoned Sans and Papyrus with the kitten.”

With your resolve steeled, you got yourself off of the wall and made your way around the second floor of the mall. You stopped by a music store where you found Red and Edge glancing over music and Edge had a couple of pairs of drumsticks in his hand. You made your way over to them.

“Hey, guys.”

Red nearly tripped over himself as he whirled around to see you. His grin was easy, but you had to chuckle at how he seemed so puppy like. He always got so excited, like a dog happy to see its master. He looped an arm around your shoulder as you paused between them.

“'ey, kitten,” Red purred. “whatcha doin' away from the others?”

You shrugged. “Just checking to make sure no one is getting into trouble. Left Sans and Papyrus in the pet store and just got done checking on Stretch and Blue. Then I found you two.”

“WELL, WE'RE FINE.”

The curt tone in Edge's voice made you straighten your spine. You looked up at him as he glared down at you, his teeth set in a small snarl. He had been so hot and cold with you lately and you were getting sick of it. Everything was “too childish”, or “interesting enough” to hold his attention. You were just about ready to shove those drumsticks up his coccyx.

“boss, be nice.”

“QUIET, SAN—RED.”

There it was again. Almost calling them by their cousins name. You had noticed Serif and Tango did that when you first started dancing with them. And you remember Blue calling Stretch “Papy” during the pillow fight. You guessed you understood; after all, Red did look like Sans, just edgy and pointy with a golden tooth. And it was the same with Edge and Papyrus.

You blew out a breath and counted to ten in your head before looking over up at him. “I'm still checking to make sure no one is causing trouble.”

Edge scoffed. “I CAN TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHER AND MYSELF JUST FINE. SO IF YOU WOULD EXCUSE US, HUMAN.”

Edge yanked on his brother's collar. Red chanced a glance back at you, shrugging his shoulders as you just glared at his brother's back. Gritting your teeth, you made your way out of the music shop. Once you scoured the rest of the upstairs, you went down to the first floor. You still had three other sets of brothers to check on.

When you hit the first floor, you went to check the food court first thing. Axe had mentioned he was still feeling hungry even after all of you ate lunch. You glanced around, but didn't see him or his brother. You went toward the door when you noticed Crooks out there, waving his arms around in the air angrily.

You jogged out the doors to see Axe slumping against a bench, a cigarette dangling from his teeth as Crooks continued in on him about the nasty habit. You hid a smile behind your hand, wait for the sprightly skeleton to finish his rant about how the smoke was going to do nothing more than hurt him.

Once he was finally done, you came closer. “What's up, Crooks?”

Crooks spun to face you, and his entire face lit up. “HUMAN! MAYBE YOU CAN TELL MY BROTHER ABOUT HIS BAD HABITS!”

You raised a brow at Axe, who flicked the ashes from his smoke. He gave you a lazy grin and you shook your head. Crooks gave out a frustrated noise, stomping his foot in the process. You let out a chuckle and placed a hand on Crooks's radius.

“Why don't you go inside and wait for him in there? I'll see if I can talk him out of it,” you said softly, ushering the skeleton toward the doors. “Sound good?”

“THANK YOU, TINY HUMAN FRIEND! I WILL WAIT INSIDE WHILE YOU TWO TALK!”

With that, he dashed off into the mall and you turned to face Axe, popping a hip out and placing your hand on it. You pointed a finger at him.

“You really should drop those,” you said, playing chiding him. “Those things will kill ya, don't you know?”

Axe choked on the smoke he was inhaling, and you watched as it came out of his nasal cavity while he laughed. When he was finally settled, you went closer and plucked the offending, smoking object from his phalanges and dropped it on the ground before swiftly stomping on it with your foot. He let out a mild protest before you turned to look back at him.

“They're disgusting,” you muttered. You didn't see how he perked up when you said that. “They're gross and they stink. If you're going to keep it up, try and not do it around me or the others who don't, alright?” You turned to him with a soft grin. “I don't really care since you're a magical skeleton, but, seriously. Try to kick it, yeah?”

With that, you went back inside. You didn't see the way Axe was staring at your back, like you were the most perfect person in the entire world. Or the way Crooks watched you when you walked past. Like you were a goddess in human form.

You thought of who else you needed to go see. You figured Serif and Tango would be at a store that had something to do with music or dancing, but they weren't in the music store with Red and Edge. And you couldn't think of where you could find Black and Mutt. But if you knew one thing about the latter brothers, where one was, the other wasn't too far behind.

You decided to go and head to the store you knew was keen on selling dancing items. Shoes, clothes, music, speaker sets. There were a whole bunch of things, even some learning movies for people who were just starting out. You made your way to the right of the store, heading inside once you found it.

And much like you thought, there were Tango and Serif, glancing over things and talking about what they could use in their studio. There were bars and mirrors set up all around the place, and the clerk behind the register was watching them with a lot of curiosity.

“Hey, guys.”

You jogged up to them, Tango turning to face you as Serif looked over a speaker set. “HUMAN! HAVE YOU BEEN HAVING FUN?”

You nodded. “Tons. What are you guys up to?”

“just looking for some new things for the studio,” Serif answered, putting the set back down. “the speakers we have in there now are pretty old; some of sans's older sets from the dump back in the underground. so we figured we could come here and find some new ones.”

“That's great. Hopefully they have some you like.”

You talked with them a while longer, and you caught the cashier smiling at the three of you from time to time as he went about his shift. You gave him a smile and wave as you left the two back to their shopping.

Now the only question was, where were Black and Mutt?

You thought about their personalities. They had been coming by the house more often, and you knew they had this weird master/servant relationship. You remember when you had to corral Mutt and Red by the “special items” in Spencer's only a few hours prior and decided to check there first.

Lo and behold, there was a giant skeleton and a small, loud obnoxious tyrant in the back of the store. You rolled your eyes and made your way back there. You heard them talking to themselves, but you didn't hear much of what they said as you approached.

“What are you perverts doing?”

Blackberry turned a little so he was looking over his shoulder, his permagrin on his face devious as he lowered his sockets and stared at you. His pointy teeth winked in the light at you. Mutt did just about the same, his hood pulled up over his head, but you could still see his amber eyelights watching you as his own golden tooth winked in the dim light.

How did skeletons manage to look that hot?

“HUMAN PET! HOW NICE OF YOU TO JOIN US!” Blackberry said. He ushered you forward and you went to stand between them. You nearly choked as he waved his hand at the assortment of toys for females in front of you both. “WE WERE JUST DECIDING WHAT YOU MIGHT LIKE BEST, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE...”

“maybe you can choose for yourself,” Mutt finished for him, earning a satisfied hum from the shorter of the two.

You looked between the two of them with an astonished look on your face. Blackberry couldn't get over just how innocent you seemed. But he knew there was something about you that just screamed you were a freak. That deep down, you had the same sexual desires he was willing to fulfill. It fueled him to try and get under your skin.

Like the rosy blush on your cheeks as you looked between him and his brother, and then back at the toy selection.

“What, you want me to pick because you don't have the tools to work with?” you sniped.

Before Blackberry could do anything, Mutt put an arm around your shoulders and drew you close to him, leaning down so he could whisper in your ear. Still, Black could hear what he said, and it made him chuckle.

“oh no, brat, we do,” he whispered thickly. “maybe you'd like to find out for yourself.”

The heat in your face only worsened and you batted him away, letting out a grunt that was definitely not ladylike and you pointed a finger at both of them. “I'm leaving. Stop being gross.”

You power walked away, but you could still feel their stares on your back. You felt a shudder go through you as you thought about what Mutt said. But you quickly shoved the thought out of your head. There was no way you were going down _that_ railroad.

Stop the train at the station right now, please.

You made your way out of the store and paused, looking around. You had checked on everyone and decided it was time to let them all do their own thing in peace. You were going to find the arcade and have some fun yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mutt: i wonder what the brat would like best. she doesn't seem to be into this type of thing, or maybe she is? how the hell would i know.  
> MC: *comes in looking for them and gets flustered when they gang up on her* Could you not?  
> Mutt: she's a freak. i can't wait to bend her over.


	11. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet two more skeletons at the arcade.  
> And then another three at the Halloween party.  
> And one of them thinks he can get inside of your head.  
> You also end up picking up an old ~~and bad~~ habit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. It really meant a lot to me. <3
> 
> The last week was actually really hard to get through. I tried calling my Mamaw to go and see her and it hit me she was really gone. So I was struggling for a little while there. But, I reread your comments. I love reading your comments. They make me so happy and it just makes me feel so...so **_fantastic_**
> 
> **Introducing!:**  
>  **Human Sans:** Guy  
>  **Human Papyrus:** Paps  
>  **Human Fell Sans:** Buddy  
>  **Human Fell Papyrus:** Chief  
>  **Echotale Sans:** G
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Enjoy your chapter, and see you all next week!<3

When you entered the arcade, you had to sidestep so many kids. It was a weekday, and school let out a while ago. You sighed and rolled your eyes. When you glanced around, there was no sign of Blueberry or Stretch anywhere in sight. You shrugged and went over to one of the racing games where Stretch and you had almost--

No, no. Stop that train right there.

You put in one of bills you had stashed in your wallet before getting as comfy as you could and choosing the car you wanted. You went through the entire thing before you got to the race, which was just as fun as you remember it. Your laughter joined in with the kids around you and you cursed so quietly, you were positive you were the only one to hear it.

You were paying no attention to your surroundings as your car spun out for the fifth time and you groaned, the GAME OVER screen popping up. You shook your head and fished out another bill from your wallet.

“i'm pretty sure i recognize you.”

You whipped your head from side to side as two shadows fell over you. Two guys were watching the screen as the machine ate the money you fed into it. They looked oddly familiar, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

The one on your right had ruby red hair that was shaved and dyed black on the sides. He wore familiar red and black zippered hoodie with a fur trimmed hood. He wore a red tee shirt and a red collar around his throat. He had on a pair of black basketball shorts with a yellow stripe down each side of the leg. He had on a pair of haphazardly tied shoes and a pair of white socks sticking from the top. His eyes were what got you the most, though; they were the same color as his hair. And he had a golden tooth on the right side of his mouth.

The one on the right wasn't too much different except for color schemes. He had on a familiar blue hoodie and had on pink slippers. He was even wearing socks with them! His hair was shockingly white, and his eyes were the same damn color, too. He wore a plain tee shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts, but with white stripes going down each leg.

In fact, you realized just how often you saw that outfit after meeting a certain skeleton.

“What in the fu--”

“language, sweetheart,” the one on the right chided. “name's buddy. this's guy.”

You snorted a laugh. “Buddy? Guy? What, were your parents too lazy to name you, or do you just prefer random nicknames?”

Guy shrugged, standing upright. “nah, just don't like dealing with the bullshit of names,” he said. “you must be the human living with our cousins.”

Buddy grunted as he stared at the screen of the game. “this is her? huh. red never mentioned just how cute she was.”

“red never mentions a lot of things.”

You felt your face heating up as you turned back to your game. All you wanted was to spend time away from them for a little bit. And yet, here you are, meeting two more of their cousins. You were going to have to sit down with Sans and ask just how many cousins that fucker had. It was like you were seeing them all over the place.

You started your game, but the shadows never went away. Actually, Buddy was giving you pointers on how to drift at the right times and Guy was pointing out you didn't need to use the nitro when you did. They were helping you, and you actually ended up winning that round because of it. You laughed with them as you high fived them.

“Wait, you said you guys are cousins,” you said, a thought finally occurring to you. “But they're skeletons and you're...” You frantically waved your hands in their general direction for a few moments before letting them fall to your side.

Guy chuckled, and it sounded almost just like Sans's laugh. “yeah, i guess it is kinda strange seeing them with skin, huh?”

You furrowed your brows. But you didn't comment on it, instead deciding to go with the flow and tucking the information away for later. You knew there was something going on, but you didn't realize it would involve _all_ of his cousins.

You grinned and shook your head. “Well, thanks for introducing yourselves. I should really be going to look for the boys now. It's hard rounding them all up as it is.”

“we'll come with ya,” Buddy said, bouncing off of the machine he was leaning on. “haven't seen red in a fat minute.”

With that, you left the arcade with two more cousins. You talked to them and got to know them as you walked around, heading into the different stores to gather your roommates and their other cousins. You had to send Guy in to collect Mutt and Blackberry when they kept trying to get you to pick out something from the back section.

Red immediately hooted with laughter when he saw Buddy and clapped him on the back. The two seemed really close, and you smiled as they talked and joked with each other. You noticed that even these human cousins seemed to love a good pun, and it was nice to see it was more like family genetics with it rather than something to pass the time by.

But you couldn't get what Guy had said out of your head. What did he mean when he said you were “seeing them with skin”? They couldn't all be the same person. That was literally impossible. You were sure there was some kind of scientific law that would be corrupted if that kind of thing ever happened.

You filed it away as you gathered the last of the boys and everyone headed out into the parking lot. They sat there talking to these two cousins for a while. You also learned they had their own brothers, but you didn't catch their names. You smiled, watching them all interact and laughing. It was another thing you took a mental picture of.

In fact...

You stealthily pulled out your phone and tapped on it a couple of times, bringing the camera up and pointing it in their direction. Not a single one of them heard the camera go off as you snapped a picture of them. You grinned and tucked the phone away into your pocket, leaning back on the bench you were sat on and watching them.

The sun was setting, and people and monsters were filing out of the mall and heading to their cars. The boys were finally saying bye to Buddy and Guy. Axe came over and helped you off the bench. You smiled at him and chased after Red and Edge, who were heading to Edge's vehicle.

Blueberry was glaring at Blackberry's back and you heard Mutt and Stretch talking in low, heated tones. Whatever it was about, you hoped they resolved it so you could all just go home.

Red piled in the back of the car, laying himself across the backseat. He was snoring by the time you and Edge got into the front seats. You shook your head as Edge glared at him through the rear view mirror. You laid a hand on his humerus, shaking your head when he looked at you. He pulled himself away from you with a jerky motion and started up the car as Blue and Black revved their motorcycles.

It hurt a little bit, but you didn't say anything as you made your way out of the parking lot and heading for the highway. You felt yourself slowly drifting off to sleep, and tried to fight it off, but it was no use.

By the time Edge was on the off ramp, you were passed out cold.

–

You didn't realize just how fast time could fly. You glanced around the living room as Papyrus and Blueberry helped you string up some of the lights you had found in the Halloween store only a couple of weeks ago. You had all of the boys helping you set things up, even had some go out in their free time to go pick up more stuff. You smiled at the random decorations around the house, but your favorite still had to be the prank waiting to happen.

After coming home from the mall, Edge had tried to throw away all the skeleton stuff you had gotten from the mall away. You had found it in the trash a day later and you took them out, muttering to yourself about getting hi back. Serif and Stretch were the first to find you digging through the trash and you three came up with a plan for Edge.

You chuckled to yourself and waved Tango over as he came in with another set of decorations. There were cobwebs and bloody hand prints and a large window decoration. You were sure it wouldn't cover the entire window, but what could it hurt?

He lifted you so you were on his shoulders and you began to put the decorations in places you wanted them. You were laughing around with him when there was an indignant shout that came from the second floor, causing him to almost drop you. The four of you turned to look toward the hall as a door slammed and footsteps came marching down the stairs at the speed of light.

Edge stood in the archway, holding the skeleton ornament that you had hung in front of his door gripped in one hand. His glare was on you, and you hid a smile behind the sleeve of your shirt, but he knew better as his glare turned absolutely killer. Seriously, if looks could kill, you'd have been dead eight times over already. It was the greatest thing.

“WHAT'S WRONG, EDGE?” Blueberry asked, his eyelights looking between the two skeletons.

“Yeah, Edge, what's wrong? Are your past deeds coming back to haunt you?” you chimed in, going back to hanging the cobweb up in the corner of a window.

“THIS WAS YOU, WASN'T IT, HUMAN?” Edge yelled, shaking the skeleton at you. “I THREW THESE INDECENT THINGS AWAY FOR A REASON!”

“I bought them,” you remarked. “You had no right to throw them away.”

He made an irritated noise, and threw the skeleton to the ground and stormed off. There was the sound of a door slamming again before a few more of the skeletons in the house came down and into the living room to see what was going on. Stretch and Serif were shaking their heads and chuckling as you shrugged your shoulders.

“He shouldn't have thrown my stuff away,” you simply said.

Red seemed nervous, glancing between you and stairs. You waved him off to go check on his brother and he shuffled his way out of the room. You caught the sympathetic looks of the others and you sighed. Now you felt bad.

You shook it off as the others began to file in, talking about their costumes and how it seemed the older brothers helped the younger brothers make theirs. Or, in Stretch and Blue's case, the younger helped the older. You smiled as they said what they were going to wear, and you already knew that the lazier of the brothers were putting in minimal effort. You rubbed your temples and groaned when Tango set you on the couch.

It was still early enough you had plenty of time to put on your costume and the makeup for it. But you had been up so early this morning getting everything ready and you were ready to take a nap. You didn't like them very much, even when you had the early morning shift at work, but you needed to do something.

Sans had mentioned that Frisk and the others were coming over. You knew they had two siblings as well. Another human, a boy, and a goat that was the Prince of the Underground. You knew they were going to want to go trick or treating, and Sans was planning on accompanying you.

“What time is it?” you groaned.

“still have...six hours until trick or treating begins,” Serif said, getting out one of the controllers for the PlayStation. “why, what's wrong, sweets?”

“I'm exhausted,” you mumbled. “I need a nap at least for a couple of hours.”

“then go take a nap,” Red said, coming back into the room. He plopped beside Serif and snagged the controller that was offered to him. “we'll wake ya up.”

“WHILE I DO NOT USUALLY CONDONE THOSE LAZYBONE TRAITS,” Papyrus said, drawing your attention to him, “I WILL BE HAPPY TO WAKE YOU UP IN A COUPLE OF HOURS! I DON'T TRUST MY BROTHER OR THESE COUSINS TO DO SO.”

You smiled sleepily, moving to get up from the couch and dragging your feet toward the doorway. “Thanks, Papy. You're the coolest.”

“I KNOW!”

With that, you managed to get yourself to the third floor, shutting your bedroom door and planting yourself face first into the bed. You could feel yourself falling asleep even as you managed to crawl under the covers and turning so you were facing away from the window. The second you shut your eyes, you were out cold.

You were woken up to someone frantically shaking you, calling your name. It was really hot, and you could feel sweat plastering your clothes to your skin. You woke up, shooting up in bed as someone fell back onto the floor beside you. You were panting, and your eyes darted around the room as you tried to make sense of where you were.

You weren't there. You weren't with your mother. You weren't a kid anymore. She couldn't hurt you now. You were safe. You were okay. Everything was fine.

You looked down to see Papyrus slowly getting up from his perch on the floor. You gasped, moving the blankets off of you and helping him to his feet. Before you could ask how he was, he took your cheeks in his gloved hands and turned your face one way and then the other.

“Papy?”

“ARE YOU HURT? I HAD TO GET PRETTY ROUGH WITH YOU TO WAKE YOU!” he fretted. “DID YOU BUMP YOUR HEAD?”

“No, no, I'm fine,” you said, taking his hands in yours. “I'm sorry for worrying you.”

“IT IS ALRIGHT!” he said, moving away, but not taking his hands from your face. “I HEARD YOU SCREAMING JUST AS I WAS COMING TO WAKE YOU UP. I LET YOU SLEEP AN EXTRA HOUR BECAUSE YOU SEEMED REALLY DRAINED AND...”

He trailed off, looking like he had done something wrong. You smiled and reached your own hand up to pat his cheekbone. “It's alright. Thank you. It was just a bad dream, is all.”

“I KNOW! SANS GETS THEM ALL THE TIME! HE EVEN TALKS IN HIS SLEEP WHILE HE HAS THEM LIKE YOU DO!”

You remember that. He had mentioned something about his brother dying and you had met the sweet cinnamon roll not long before that. After consoling Sans back to sleep, you had stayed up, wondering who exactly would want to hurt such an innocent soul like him. The thought had made you feel sick the rest of that night.

You gave Papyrus a reassuring smile and gave his cheekbone another pat. “Thanks for waking me up, Paps. I need to go shower and get ready.”

The skeleton beamed down at you and with one swift hug, he was gone. You sat back down on your bed and rubbed at your eyes with the heels of your hands until you started seeing bright dots in your vision.

You couldn't remember for the life of you what you had dreamed about. But you knew it had something to do with your mother. Ever since she started calling as much as she had, your dreams had been going all over the place. It could be something that never happened to watching her get rid of your dancing studio all over again.

The memories were painful, and sometimes it felt like the ones you had of your mom were actual memories too. But you knew better than to think that. You ran your hand through your hair, cursing as it caught on your hair tie. You stood up and made your way to the bathroom while trying to untangle the blasted thing from your rat's nest.

Once showered and dried with your hair dried off as well, you grabbed your cat earred head band and moved it to push your bangs back. You grabbed the body paint you had snagged from one of the stores and made your way over to the mirror in the bathroom.

The next hour and a half was nothing but tedious work and hoping your memory of YouTube videos was spot on. You brushed the paint around your face and down your neck and collarbones. You made sure to even get the tops of your shoulders. Or what would be showing of them at least.

Once that was done, you wandered around your room and grabbed your outfit, throwing it to your bed and taking your accessories. Truly, it had been a lot of work just to keep the boys out of your room while you had done this. These nylons were, thankfully, kept a secret from them and you shed your clothes when you were sure the makeup had dried completely.

Once dressed, you put on the usual jewelry you always wore, but added a little pumpkin ring to your ensemble. It was plastic and cost fifty cents, but it was so cute and you didn't want to leave it sitting among the bat rings.

You looked yourself over in the mirror and fixed your hair a little. A wave of insecurity washed over you, and you paused as you were about to open the door to your room to head downstairs. What if this was offensive to them? Edge had been willing to throw your skeleton decorations away just because they were “naked”. What if this entire thing was a waste and they all got mad at you?

You gripped the door handle a little harder. No, you would go and do this. You had done all of this just to have a laugh and make some damn memories. You were too determined to let it all go to waste.

You yanked open the door and left your room, heading down to the first floor. You slid along the wall, peeking your head around the corner. All of the boys had gathered and some were already in their costumes yelling at the others to go get ready. You grinned and moved away from the opening, taking in a deep breath and blowing it out.

Time to show them.

You entered the room with a small flourish of the skirt of your dress. Immediately, all eyelights were on you and the din in the room stopped. You were beginning to feel self conscious, but you kept your chin high and went over to sit beside Stretch and Blueberry. Not a single one of them continued to say anything and you made a mental note to go find a change of clothes before the party in a few hours. Just in case.

“WOWZA, MISS (Y/N)!” Blueberry was the first to speak, his eyelights big, bright cyan stars. “YOU LOOK JUST LIKE US!”

That got the rest of them to relax a little and everyone put their two cents in. Even Red with his usual snarky, gross comments. The only one who didn't say anything was Edge. He was watching you with a deep reddish orange flush of magic across his cheekbones. When you thought you caught him staring, he would look away with a huff and talk to Red again about something quietly.

You blew out a breath and relaxed as the lazier of the skeletons made their way to their rooms to “get ready”. You knew one hundred percent they were going to be lazy about it. While they got ready, you looked at the others' costumes.

Papyrus was a knight in shining armor. Judging by the glint off said armor it was made from a real metal material. Or aluminum. Something of the sort. There was a plastic sword sheathed at his hip and a helmet sitting on the coffee table in front of him. It even had an orange feather floof coming from the top of it. And his usual boots and gloves were replaced with stuff to match the actual costume.

Blueberry was dressed up as a game character but you couldn't put your finger on which one it was. He was wearing a wig that had dark hair with bits of gray running through it. There was a backpack filled with random things on the floor at his boot clad feet. He was wearing a flannel and thoroughly worn down jeans. He even looked like he had painted on a beard and mustache on his face. There were some fake blood spatters on his face and clothes. You really couldn't tell who he was playing.

Edge looked like a character you knew all too well, though. Through all the anime you watched, you never would have thought Edge did. He looked like the skeletal version of Orochimaru, and that made you have to hide a smile behind your hand. Especially as he had to adjust the long black wig for the fifteenth time. He wore the huge ass purple rope that tied his tanned garments together, and even had the weird sandals on his feet. Which looked weird to you, personally. He even did his own face paint to match the character.

Tango looked like he went in the way of history. He wore clothing that must have dated back to at least the 1800s. And he looked quite dashing while he wore it, too. He had a top hot placed beside Papyrus's suit of armor and a waistcoat thrown over one of his arms. He had on a long sleeved, white collared shirt and had a golden vest thrown over it. Next to the coffee table there was a cane, and his shoes looked authentic as the rest of it. They even had the golden buckles on them!

You smiled at them as they enthused with you about their costumes. They always did something different, always made sure that their outfits were top notch to wow the monsters of the Underground. Or, now to wow the humans of the surface. It was one of the most innocent things you had seen in so long and it warmed your heart right up.

When the others came down, you were ready to throw them back up the stairs.

Sans had donned the stupid bear onsie, again. Red had changed into a white t-shirt, even thought he still wore his hoodie over it. When you caught “ERROR 404: COSTUME NOT FOUND” script on the front—written in comic sans no less—you facepalmed so hard you thought you heard your teeth chatter. Serif came in wearing a cardboard tied to a string that was around his neck stating he was a “nudist on strike”. And Stretch? He literally came into the room with a whole bunch of those “Hello, my name is...” stickers all over him with different names, plastered all over him.

You were going to throw all four of them out the window and into the cold.

“Guys, are you serious?” you groaned as Stretch resumed his seat next to you. “You had _so long_ to get ideas for Halloween.”

“and we came up with this,” Stretch said.

“Sans is literally wearing the same costume from last year or the year before,” you deadpanned.

They all only shrugged as you groaned again. The doorbell rang, and you jumped up to go answer it. You were sure it was Frisk and the others, but Sans still went with you just to make sure no one tried to kill you on the spot. You had no idea what he meant, but you went with it anyway.

When you opened the door, a child with brown hair and no real discernible features came through the door and almost knocked Sans to his feet. There was a squeal of laughter before it was quiet again. When you turned to look, you saw their hands moving in such a fast pace. You remember Sans telling you at one point that Frisk was mute. Not sure if they wear deaf, but they just never talked. Unlike their two adopted siblings.

Speaking of, one of them came through the door next and looked up at you. He gave a tight grin as he looked over your costume and something about it made you feel a little unsettled. The child was harmless, you could tell, but at the same time...there was something a little off about them. Maybe it was the sharp red eyes that seemed to pierce you down to your very soul. You didn't ask any questions, though.

“You must be the new human,” he said. He sounded like a teenager, definitely looked it, though you wouldn't have guessed from the dragon costume he wore. “My name is Chara.”

“Oh wow! Another human!? Mom, look!”

A small goat monster came bounding up beside Chara and looked up at you with wide green eyes. His costume was that of a prince. This must be the King and Queen blood kid.

Hehe. You crack yourself up sometimes.

“Hi, buddy,” you said, waving your hand. “I'm Y/n. You must be Asriel.”

“Sorry about my children. They're always so excitable.”

You looked up and damn near fainted on the spot. The Queen of monsters herself was standing in front of you. She didn't wear a costume herself, but she was wearing a pink tee shirt with a pair of skin – fur? – tight jeans. She had sandals on her feet and she held her hands in front of her. She ducked her head as she came in so her horns didn't get caught on the frame.

“Oh, no, it's fine,” you said, chuckling. “I'm new to them, so I can understand the excitement.”

The other two raced off, Frisk hot on their heels. Sans got up from the floor and brushed himself off before waving a lazy hand in her direction.

“hey, tori. this's y/n. she's staying with us.”

You noticed how he didn't say “for the time being” or something along those lines. You glanced at him, but he wasn't even looking at you as the Queen came further into the room. You shook it off and turned and went into the living room, watching as the kids interacted with Sans and Papyrus's cousins. You noticed that Stretch and Blueberry along with Papyrus, Edge and Tango were the only ones who really stuck beside Chara. Serif, Red and Sans seemed to avoid him, and didn't seem to like associating with them.

Frisk came up to you and started signing at a rapid fire pace. You thanked the gods above you had learned from one of your deaf friends way back in the day.

**“So are you Sans's girlfriend?”**

If you had a drink, there would definitely have been a spit take. You choked on your spit instead, hitting your chest for a moment before shaking your head.

“No, no, kid. Nothing like that,” you chuckled. “He and I have been friends for a couple of years is all. It's nice to finally be able to meet you, though.”

**“I'm happy I finally get to meet you, too! Papy and Sans are always talking about you whenever I see them.”**

That was so sweet.

You talked with Frisk a bit longer before you were being rounded up by Sans and Stretch. They were coming with you to take Blue, Papyrus and the kids trick or treating. Toriel had already made herself at home in the kitchen and was looking around for things so she could start making snacks and stuff for the party.

You went into the kitchen quickly. “I have a recipe book right here if you'd like to try something for some Halloween based treats,” you told her, bringing the book over to her.

She took it and cooed at you before sweeping you into a giant hug. You were startled, practically frozen and she hugged you to her big, furry body. When she released you, she beamed a smile down at you.

“Thanks, child. Now go run along. I'll get things started in here.”

And with that, she went about her business humming. You made your way back to the others and Chara cracked up, while Frisk was smiling and Asriel was blushing a little pink. You chuckled and rounded them up and you made your way into the town, toward the more populated area. There were humans and monsters all around, and a lot of monsters had even dressed up for Halloween, seeing as they were what most people wore.

It was actually kind of funny one monster, a little bunny, had dressed as a human. Classic!

You watched as the exuberant skeletons chased after the others when they ran up to the doors. Only one house had asked why Papyrus was out trick or treating, and when it came to light it just because he liked showing off his great costumes, an old lady had shoved the young man aside and damn near dumped the entire bowl of candy in his bucket.

“Ignore my son, dearie,” she'd said. “He's a big ol' bag of bitch.”

With that, the others got more candy from her as well and waved to us and sent us on our way. Sans and Stretch had been walking behind the group for a while, talking in low tones. You heard snippets about a machine and making sure it was disconnected before heading back for the party so there weren't anymore surprises. You shook your head and headed up to the next house with the kids, ringing the doorbell for everyone.

After another few hours, every took their hauls back to the house. They were all talking about how much they had gotten and who they were going to share their goodies with. It brought a smile to your face, reminded you of a time where this had been you, as well. Always ready to come home and start the trading process to get rid of the bad candy and get your favorites.

When you finally made it back to the house, it was filled with music, and people and monsters. You glanced around, your social anxiety started to creep up on you slowly. You didn't really mind crowds, but you definitely couldn't be around them long before you started getting too anxious. Part of you was excited to meet a couple more of the cousins, and another part of you was ready to hide in your room until everyone left.

“HEY, PUNK. HEAD'S UP!”

With a startled yelp, you managed to duck Undyne's spear just in time as it soared over your head. You moved quickly, standing and dodging the kick Undyne shot out at you with horrible grace. You were usually better than this, but your head had been in the clouds.

You should have known better.

You kept your dress secured to your legs as you came to a stop and held up both of your hands in an “X” in front of you as her leg came down again, stopping her just inches from your face. With a grunt, you pushed her off, sending her sprawling back and coming around with a kick of your own. You both stayed like that, watching each other with scrutinizing gazes as your foot stopped an inch from her face.

With a loud laugh, she hauled herself up and dusted off her costume, before pulling you in for a bone crushing hug. You let out a wheeze as she squeezed you to her and shattered your ear drums with her boisterous laughter.

“GREAT JOB, LOSER!” she said. “Man, I really thought I had ya there for a minute.”

You grinned as she set you down and you punched her in the arm. “Yeah, maybe had my head on a spike.”

“Young ones, there you are.”

The booming voice drew your attention to the giant goat monster that the kids began running to. Toriel took her place next to him, though she most definitely didn't look pleased. Sans had mentioned that while Underground, the Queen had taken her leave from the throne and her and Asgore had been separated ever since. They hadn't gotten back together, nor had they tried to reconcile. But they remained civil for their childrens's sake.

At least they were trying that much.

You made your way into the room and held out your hand. “You must be Asgore.”

He looked up at you and the golden hair on top of his head seemed to push forward, a strand of it falling into his face and atop his muzzle. He sent you a grin that was all teeth, but given he was wearing a Hawaiian style printed shirt with a punch of pineapples and palm trees with cargo shorts, socks and sandals, you didn't feel the least bit threatened.

Maybe a little amused though.

“Ah, and you must be Miss Y/n. Sans mentioned you were living here now,” he mused, taking your hand in his giant paw. Holy shit, it entirely engulfed your hand! “It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise,” you said, smiling.

“'ey, sweetheart!”

You turned your head to the sound of the nickname, and you chuckled when you saw Buddy shoot finger guns your way. Rolling your eyes, you made your way over to him, where he sat with a tall man standing nearby, talking with Red and Edge. These must be the two that Red and Edge hang out with so often.

The tall guy you had yet to know was the same height as Edge. He had shockingly white hair, and there was a bit of red at the tips of his hair. He had on a black sleeveless tank top, with the sleeves having obviously been torn off. He had on a pair of black jeans, held in place with a black leather belt that looked brand new. But you could once again see some correlation with the ones that acted like Papyrus. This one wore red boots that stopped just under his knees and wore red gloves that stopped at his elbows. There was a red scarf around his neck as well, but you guessed it was because it had gotten kind of chilly outside.

It seemed neither of them dressed up for the holiday and when you stopped to talk to them, someone leaned on your shoulder, almost sending you sprawling from the weight difference. You looked over and saw Guy leaning against you now, an easy grin splitting his face. It must have just been a trick of the light, but you could definitely see his skeletal cousin in that grin.

Like Buddy and his brother – you assumed, at least – Guy hadn't dressed up either. And behind him came another one of the cousins, his excitement growing on eyes that were so blue, they could have been mistaken for white.

He looked a lot like Papyrus, much like Guy looked like Sans. He wore an entire outfit that reminded you of the 90s. It was strange seeing it and you chuckled as he had paired everything with – you guess it – red boots, red gloves and a red scarf. His hair was just as white as his brother's, if not a little more on the gray side rather than white. You could see it from the little tuft of hair poking out from the baseball cap he wore backwards.

When you glanced at his pants, you had to hold in a laugh. “Oh, for the love of the gods above, are those JNCO jeans?” you sputtered.

“Quite So!” he said excitedly. He extended a hand toward you. “My Name Is Paps! It's A Pleasure To Finally Meet You!”

Paps. As you took his hand in yours and gave a shake, you ran that information over in your head. Paps. Like what Sans called his brother. Or when you were trying to talk seriously to the brothers, you used that name for him. It was one of the only ways to convey to him you were serious.

Now you were ninety-five percent sure there was something going on. But for now, it could take the back burner as they all began asking you questions about how you'd been and how school was going. Red and Edge even joined in, even though Edge always seemed to butt in and comment on something about you he didn't like whenever the opportunity arose. You also learned that Buddy's brother's name was Chief. Judging by the way he acted and looked, with the two scars that were similar to Edge's, you decided it fit him.

At some point, you had managed to get Buddy down to noogie him with the others, except Edge of course, laughing and chuckling around you. Just as you were about to head for Guy, someone reached out to take your hand. You squeaked as you were turned to face yet another skeleton.

This one was smoking inside the house, smoke lazily trailing upward as he studied me with yellow eyelights. He wore clothes almost fit for a biker, with a cropped leather jacket that had a fur trimmed hood. There was a sweater on underneath that, and he had a pair of suspenders just dangling down by his hips. His jeans rode low, with a belt that was loosely done. It wasn't even doing its intended job! The boots he wore were polished to a shine and were tied neatly. He was tall, too, but you couldn't pin if he was more like Sans, or if was more like Papyrus. He also had two cracks in his skull, much like Edge. One ran from the left side of his skull down to the top of his eye socket, and the other one ran down the right cheek to the top of his mouth.

“well, hello, angel,” he said. His voice was gruff, deep. But not at all raspy like you thought it would be. “you must y/n.”

“That's right,” you said carefully, nodding. “And you are...?”

“Most call me G, but you can call me daddy later, if you'd like.”

Holy shit.

You felt your face flame up as the others around you got on his case about being tactless and just crude. Edge seemed the most angry about it, though you didn't understand why. He was always so hot and cold with you, you thought you had a fever whenever you were around him.

With a shake of yourself mentally, you shook yourself off of him, rolling your eyes as you turned back to the group you were getting to know. “No thanks, G. But thanks for the offer.”

He seemed taken aback, his cigarette almost dropping from his mouth as you smiled up at him before laughing with the group. G shook himself and sauntered off to go find the Classic version of all of them. He had to have a word with him about that one.

You were going to be a fun one.

All the monsters and people gathered were having a blast, even three hours later. You had made your rounds to say hi to everyone, even Sin and Pink. They were more than happy to see you if the lewd comments were anything to go by. Everyone seemed enamored by the skeleton makeup and costume you had worked so meticulously on, and it brought you a little bit of joy. Your housemates and their cousins all seemed obsessed over it, too. Even the human cousins seemed to love it.

You guess you hadn't offended anyone after all.

Well, maybe one skeleton was a bit off about it.

Edge was staring at you a lot throughout the night, his eyelights never leaving you unless you caught him staring. And when you did, he would roll his eyelights and looked away, back to the conversation he was having. You would only roll your eyes in turn and go back to whatever it was you were doing.

But by the three and a half hour mark, you had to excuse yourself. You needed fresh air. You had to get some kind of break before you had a breakdown in front of everyone around you. And that wouldn't look good on you.

After letting everyone know you'd be back inside in just a few minutes, you made your way outside, sitting in the chair that Stretch usually sat in. Shutting your eyes, you took in a deep, calming breath, trying to slow the rate of your heart. You didn't mind large crowds, once upon a time. They had been welcoming almost. You loved the thrill of a good party.

_“Y/n? What are you doing out here? Get back inside and interact. You're going to make your father and I look bad.”_

Your mother's voice came unbidden and you opened your eyes, your teeth gritted. What really made you mad wasn't even that she said it, no. It was how you had so willingly complied, thinking it would gain her favor for you at some point. And it never did. Nothing you did had ever been good enough.

You looked over toward the ashtray, your fingers twitching. There was at least one good halfie in there, and you knew it. Stretch tended to smoke more than one, and he often let them burn out and then light another without realizing it. Red often did the same thing. You always noticed them when you emptied their ashtray.

You had kicked the habit, and kicked it hard. Especially when the smell of it started to just make you feel sick to your stomach. But at times like this, when it was the hardest to calm down, you always felt that need to smoke _just one more_ in the back of your mind. Just like now, when you realized you had been reaching for one you could see...

“here.”

You yelped, slapping your hand over your mouth and looking toward the voice. G stood there, the left half of his body shadowed as the right side was lit up from the porch light. And in his hand was a cigarette, being offered to you. You slowly took and he reached into his pocket to bring out his pack, shaking it a little bit. You noticed quietly that he had a hole in his palm; you wondered if there was a similar one on his other hand.

“camels,” he said. “so if you want menthol, pop the marble in the filter.”

“I remember,” you murmured. “Thank you.”

You popped the marble – you always popped it – before taking the proffered lighter and lighting up. The smoke filled your lungs, and you knew you were going to regret it later as you inhaled the smoke and blew it out through your nose slowly. This had been a bad decision, but you needed something to help quell the nerves shocking through your system and making you jittery.

He plopped down in Red's usual seat as he lit up his own, pocketing the lighter. “didn't take ya for a smoker.”

“I was,” you said quietly, staring at the stars in the sky. “I quit when the smell alone started to make me feel nauseous. But there's always times where I need just one more.”

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat as the yellow smoke trailed up to the sky. “we all have our vices, angel.”

It was quiet after that, and you were more than thankful for it. After another few minutes, and stubbing out the cigarette, you leaned forward, sighing.

“so what do ya think about all of them?”

“Huh?” You looked toward him, pulled from your own thoughts as G finally spoke.

“what do you think about everything?” he asked.

“I'm not sure what you mean.”

He chuckled now, stubbing out the cigarette. “oh, come on now, angel. don't tell me that you haven't had _some_ suspicions.”

You had an inkling you knew what he was getting at, but didn't clarify as he stood up, stretching his arms above his head. He dug through his pack and pulled out a couple of more cigarettes, handing them to you. You took them hesitantly as he walked toward the door. Before he opened it, he turned to look at you again, his grin absolutely shit eating.

“when you get the time to, i would look through the library. second floor, third door on the left,” he said, opening it. “desk in the very far back, toward the giant window facing the woods. thick folder. can't miss it.” He paused, shutting the door again and came back over to you. He held out his hand. “phone?”

You took it from the pocket of the dress (amazing, right?), and tapped on it a few times before handing it back to you. Once that was done, he went back to the door and opened it again, sending you a wink.

“call me when you finally come to terms with it, angel.”

And with that cryptic bullshit, he disappeared, leaving you alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> G: she's gonna be so easy. watch, i can get her in one go while classic has been friendzoned for fucking years.  
> MC: You can not and talk to me like an actual person.  
> G: challenge accepted.


	12. The Multiverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide to check out the library.
> 
> You need to know you're not going crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Back with another chapter. Woo! Hope everyone has an amazing week, and remember, please, that your mental health is _so important_. So please, if you need to take a day **for you** , then do it. Take your time and recover from whatever has/had happened. You're worth it, and you are loved.
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Stop by my Tumblr! I'll be posting updates and ask your favorite characters questions of any kind. (:
> 
> Hope to see you there, and remember:
> 
> This faceless, dirty sinning author loves you. <3

You didn't wake up till late the next day. And it was Papyrus and Blueberry who had come to wake you up, loudly proclaiming you were sleeping the day away. You groaned at them to go away and leave you alone, but they were having none of it, suddenly worried their brothers were rubbing off on you. That their habits had tainted you.

You rolled your eyes behind shut lids.

When you sat up and gave them both the death glare they deserved, they seemed satisfied, letting you know lunch would be done shortly and then left happy. You grunted as you landed on your pillows, rubbing your eyes with the heels of your hands.

You had been up into the wee hours of the night helping them clean, and then when you had gone to bed, you hadn't been able to sleep. G's words echoed in your mind time and again as you shut your eyes to try and go to sleep. But you hadn't been able to. Something about the way he spoke to you only further confirmed your suspicions that these boys were all the same person. But you had no real proof to go off of.

_“when you get the time to, i would look through the library. second floor, third door on the left. desk in the very far back, toward the giant window facing the woods. thick folder. can't miss it.”_

It was like he knew you were thinking it. But hadn't wanted to say anything. But he had given you a hint as to what it could be. You decided then and there that you were finally going to figure out just what the hell was going on.

After lunch of course.

When you finally managed to drag yourself out of bed, you grabbed a set of clothes before heading off to shower. You sighed as the hot water seeped into your tired body and you could have melted right then and there. But you washed up and got out, drying yourself off and stuffing your hair in your towel.

Maybe you could piss Edge off today.

Once you had dressed yourself, you left the bathroom and headed over to the nightstand where your phone sat. You scrolled through all of your notifications and hummed to yourself as you left your room. Morgan had texted sometime in the morning, asking if you wanted to go to a late Halloween party later in the day. You didn't know how the rest of the day was going to go, and you would probably need an escape later. You texted him that you'd get back to him on it.

You made your way downstairs and into the kitchen, sitting at the table just as everyone gathered into the room for lunch. You notice immediately that Sans looked upset, like he had been in an argument with Papyrus and it hadn't ended well.

But you knew it wasn't that. Sans and Papyrus never fought. Edge and Red definitely fought, but then Red would submit and that was that. He plopped down in his seat with a lazy wave your way. And as the others began to make their way into the room, you noticed that the human cousins had stayed the night. Well, at least Buddy did.

Buddy thunked into the seat beside you, scooting a tad closer and throwing his arm around the back of your seat. “well, hey there, sweetheart,” he said. “how'd ya sleep?”

_Like shit, thanks for asking._

“I slept alright,” you lied. “Didn't go to bed till late though because the lot of you lazy asses decided you were gonna magically disappear to go to bed.”

He chuckled, yanking on the towel that was still on your head. “fair 'nough.”

He talked so much like Red, it was uncanny. You were really itching to head into the library and figure out what was going on. G must have been on to something, and you really needed to sate your curiosity. He had all but confirmed your suspicions at this point and you were itching to go see what was in the damned folder.

The louder of the brothers began to come out and place giant plates of food on the table. As everyone began to serve themselves, you watched as Chief sat next to Papyrus's right side, where Blueberry usually sat. He and Edge were deep in discussion about something again. You shook your head and went back to getting yourself some eggs, trying to get the bowl from Buddy.

“yer a shorty, ain'tcha?”

“You will be, too, when I kick your dick into your throat,” you growled.

His laughter drowned out the conversations around you as you snatched the bowl from him and piled some eggs onto your plate before passing it to Serif, who was seated on your other side.

Breakfast went well enough. The two edgier boys finally pulled themselves from their conversation to talk with the rest of the group. The talk varied from who all had come last night and to what everyone was doing that day. You smiled to yourself while Tango berated his brother on being such a lazybones and not even helping the night before with clean up.

“sorry, bro,” Serif said around pancake. “guess i was just _bone tired_.”

His resounding shout of an angry “NYEH” had you laughing, almost causing you to choke on a piece of bacon you had taken a bite of.

“so what're your plans today, honey?”

You looked over to Stretch, who was at the end of the table. Blueberry was beside him, happily munching on some the fresh fruit you had reminded him to buy his last shopping trip into town. You smiled and shrugged your shoulders.

“I don't know. I'll probably go dry the rest of my hair and then head to the library to get my work done. You know, since Red and you both seem to have an issue of coming in and bothering me while I'm in my room.”

Red rolled his eyelights and Stretch chuckled while Sans nodded absently.

“just don't go off into the far back. there's some stuff back there that I haven't organized yet, okay, kiddo?”

He sounded nonchalant about it, but even you could hear the nervousness in his tone. The others looked at him, glaring a little before everyone resumed talk and eating like nothing had been said. When you were done, you picked up your plate and took it to the kitchen, intending to wash it off before putting it in the dishwasher. When you straightened, you nearly screamed before a hand covered your mouth.

Fight or flight instinct kicked in and you tried so desperately remember what it was that Undyne taught you to get out of this. But when you glanced down, you noticed a bony hand and nearly sagged with relief before the hand was removed and you turned to face...

Stretch.

“What are you–?”

He cut you off holding a finger to his teeth with a glance toward the dining hall. When it was confirmed it was still noisy as hell, he looked down at you with a lazy grin.

“sorry 'bout that, honey,” he murmured. “jus' wanted to ask you somethin' without the others butting in.”

“But you guys don't have butts,” you snarked instantly.

He chuckled, his memory fresh of when he had first met you. “fair enough. look, was wondering if you'd like to come out with me next wednesday. heading out to take care of something and would like if you came with.”

You blinked in surprise before you found yourself nodding. “Uh, yeah, sure. So long as it's after my class.”

“of course.”

With that, he winked at you and left to head back into the dining room. No one made a comment about his disappearance, so you guess he must have made a quiet exit. You shook it off and proceeded to head through the room, telling the others you'd see them later.

You went to your room and finished drying off your hair, mildly content with the heat from the hair dryer. Once that was finished you grabbed a hair tie and put it on your wrist, going back into your room and snagging your bag. You at least wanted to attempt you weren't going to snoop through their stuff.

When you made it to the library, you were taken aback with how it really seemed. It definitely didn't look as big, but there was even a fireplace with a couple of chaises near it to relax in while you read. You threw your bag at one of the chaise's, thinking back to what G told you. He said it was a desk in the far back, in front of a large window facing the woods in the back.

It took you ten minutes to find it, but when you did, you realized G wasn't even kidding. This folder was thick; it was thicker than your wrist and was bursting at the seams with papers. You pulled out the chair, sitting down and bringing it closer to you. Your fingers twitched and before you could talk yourself out of it to live blissfully ignorant, you opened the folder.

The first page you see is about Sans and Papyrus themselves. There wasn't much on the paper, and there was a picture of the brothers together paper clipped to the corner of the paper. There was a a few notes jotted down in Sans's handwriting as well.

_Frisk ran through a true pacifist timeline_

_Chara and Asriel saved_

_Living on surface_

_No resets since last one_

_Frisk still has control over timeline_

_Alpha timeline_

_The “originals”_

You scowled at the paper. Chara and Asriel saved? What the hell was that supposed to mean? And what did he mean by the “Alpha timeline”? Like, it was the first one? The top one? You flipped the paper over and were greeted with the faces of Edge and Red next.

Their picture wasn't as good. You could see Red's favorite hoodie and Edge looked like he was wearing something akin to Papyrus's battle body, only it was black and gold. His scarf was still present, and he had his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the camera. Red looked just as pissed, one side of his mouth turned up in a snarl.

You looked down to see notes written out about them as well.

_Fell universe_

_“Kill or be killed”_

_Sans has LV; a lot of it_

_Sans is still the Judge_

_Sans goes by “Red”_

_Papyrus is Captain of the Royal Guard_

_Papyrus goes by “Edge”_

_Papyrus has LV as well_

_Both very volatile_

_Red is a pervert of mass amounts_

_Three genocide runs before TPR_

_Frisk has power of timeline_

_Chara and Asriel were not saved; Flowey exists_

_Flowey is...nice?_

_MERCY is looked down upon_

You ran your tongue over your teeth as you read it. Kill or be killed. It could explain why Edge had those gouges in his skull. Though you guessed they were more now scars, in skeleton terms, rather than what you would consider gouges. Looking back at the page with Sans and Papyrus, you gathered that “TPR” stood for true pacifist timeline. And a genocide run? Your blood turned cold at the thought of that. And who the hell was Flowey?

You turned to the next page, you hands shaking a little. You were met with the bright grin of Blueberry, and Stretch's lazy smile. Both looked fine, if not a little tense about having their picture taken. Stretch looked like he was staring off to the side, that orange hoodie of his still on. Blue looked like he was wearing something similar to Edge and Papyrus, only in a light blue and gray. There were even those stars in his sockets.

You went on to read.

_“Swap” universe_

_Sans is Papyrus, Papyrus is Sans_

_Everyone has switched personalities_

_King is one that left throne; Queen remains_

_Papyrus is Judge_

_Sans wants to be part of the Royal Guard_

_Sans is super loud_

_Sans is “Blueberry”_

_Papyrus is “Stretch”_

_Frisk and Chara are also reversed_

_One genocide run before TPR_

_Frisk and MK not saved_

_Temmie is Flowey_

_Temmie has kill or be killed mentality_

There were more notes than you cared to read, your head trying to wrap around what been written down. So far, your headache was only mild. You were still stuck on the fact that you had been right. You hadn't wanted to think about, to shove it off as a coincidence. But in the back of your mind, the little voice telling you all of this, was now telling you how right it had been.

You flipped that page over and came face to face with a picture of Mutt and Blackberry. Blackberry was sitting atop Mutt's shoulder, the latter's arm held out so the shorter of the two could cross his legs. His arms were also crossed, and you could see the same outfit the first three Papyrus personalities wore. His red bandanna was even more tattered in the picture than it was now.

Mutt had a dog treat hanging from his teeth, that gold tooth poking out from the side of his mouth as he seemed to be tilting his head slightly. You shook your head with a small chuckle before looking over the notes.

_Mix of “Swap” and “Fell”_

_Sans is Captain of the Royal Guard_

_Papyrus is the Judge_

_Papyrus calls Sans “m'lord”_

_Sans has a bad case of power hungry tyrant_

_Sans treats Papyrus like a slave_

_Papyrus goes by “Mutt” or any term regarding as such_

_Sans goes by “Blackberry”_

_Everything is much like both “Fell” and “Swap” universes_

You read over them again, blinking slowly. A mix of the two. That would explain your first impression of them. You read over a few more minor facts, like how Chara was still switched with Frisk and Temmie was still a thing there as well. One fact shocked you so much, you just reread it three or four times before it really set in.

_Only one pacifist run;_

_Chara was almost lost in the process_

_Fifteen or more genocide runs_

That made your blood run cold.

So was their version of Chara dead? Or barely hanging on? You didn't understand, but part of you felt like you didn't want to understand. Instead, you flipped to the next page.

You were greeted with the sight of a disgruntled looking G. His yellow eyelights were staring dead at the camera even as a cigarette dangled from his mouth. You noticed he didn't have a Papyrus next to him like the others did. Instead of dwelling on that, you just read over the notes scrawled about him.

_Is the only monster left_

_DT experiment went wrong_

_Fused Gaster and Sans_

_Corrupted TL; no one else is there_

_Left behind Frisk and G!Sans_

_Frisk much older in this universe_

_G!S & Frisk on way to CORE to reset_

_G!S goes by G_

_G still Judge, left over from Sans part_

Holy shit.

G was the only monster left in his timeline? You stared at that for a moment, also noting that Frisk was older in this timeline than in the “Alpha” timeline. And what did “DT” mean anyway? That didn't even make any sense to you. You would ask, but you were also kind of snooping through personal things right about now.

You flipped the page and were met with the grins of Axe and Crooks. But...one thing that caught your attention was the lack of beanie on Axe's head...and the gaping hole in his skull. It looked like it hurt, and you felt your heart clench in sympathy. Crooks's teeth looked more red than they did now, and you felt your eyes water a little bit.

Slowly, you moved your eyes down to their notes.

_Frisk ran neutral pacifsit_

_Killed Asgore and left through the barrier_

_Never returned; unknown reason why_

_Undyne kicked Toriel from throne_

_Sans calls her Undick a lot_

_CORE eventually failed_

_Magic lessened; food scarce_

_Starvation_

_Cannibalism ensued_

_Sans goes by “Axe”_

_Papyrus goes by “Crooks”_

_Unknown as to why either have injuries_

_**KEEP AWAY FROM FRISK** _

You felt your heart clench. Starvation? Cannibalism? That would explain why they were so wary around the pair of brothers. Fuck, your heart was hurting for them. Frisk had never come back, and they didn't even know if they had tried, or if something had happened...

You could only imagine the amount hate that Axe must feel toward Frisk.

You wiped away a stray tear as you turned to the next page.

You were met with the faces of Guy and Paps. In the picture, Guy had a bit of stubble growing around his face, and he had heavy bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in a week. But he still wore the tell tale hoodie that all the Sans's seemed to wear, and Paps still had on the red scarf and gloves he was wearing at the Halloween party.

You looked under to see if there were any kind of notes on them.

_Much like this timeline, instead monster and human personalities seemed to switch_

_Only humans can use magic_

_Science is a thing for only humans, scarcely monsters_

_Sans goes by “Guy”_

_Papyrus goes by “Paps”_

_Not much else known_

Huh. Not much else known. You couldn't understand what could be so different, but not like you could ask questions. You shook your head and flipped the page.

Chief and Buddy. Buddy, like Guy, had a light stubble on his chin, and that gold tooth, which just so happened to be his canine, glinted from the flash of the camera. Those weird crimson eyes from both boys stared back at you, and you felt yourself shift a little. It was just a picture. Why did it bother you so much?

Maybe because they reminded you of mugshots?

You looked through the short note list.

“ _Fell” verse human_

_Same as Alpha timeline_

_Sans goes by “Buddy”_

_Papyrus goes by “Chief”_

_Not much else known_

Seemed like Buddy and Chief don't like talking about themselves, much like Guy and Paps didn't either. Or maybe, if Paps was supposed be just like Papyrus, then maybe it was Guy who tight lipped and told his brother not to say anything.

You flipped the page to see two humans you hadn't met. One of them reminded you a lot of Stretch, his lidded eyes a light orange color. He even wore the same kind of hoodie Stretch wore. This one had white hair that you could see, little wisps of orange in his hair. He had on an orange beanie that covered most of it though. He, too, had a bunch of stubble on his face, and a cigarette was dangling from his mouth.

That must mean the little guy beside him was the human version of Blueberry. The little guy looked one hundred percent excited, his chest puffed out and a huge grin splitting his face. He had on the same thing the others did, and his little blue bandanna was clean and pressed. His big eyes were such an unnaturally bright blue, you believed they had magic themselves.

“ _Swap” verse human_

_Much like Alpha timeline_

_Sans goes by “Tiny”_

_Papyrus goes by “Rus”_

_Not much is known_

You pursed your lips. These human ones are actually mysteries, weren't they? Maybe you could get some information from them yourself now that you knew what was going on.

And you were ready to knock Sans on his coccyx for keeping this from you. Oh, he was definitely in trouble this time.

You flipped the page and chuckled when you were met with the stares of Pink and Sin. They were standing back to back, their eye sockets lowered as they stared at the camera seductively. These two were absolutely fools, and you loved it.

You looked further down to read their notes.

“ _Lust” verse_

_Royal Guard is actually Royal Harem_

_Papyrus wants to be part of the Royal Harem_

_Monster numbers were dwindling_

_Instead of DT, Chara had LUST_

_Used LUST for injections_

_Made all monsters insanely sex crazed_

_Sans goes by “Sin”_

_Papyrus goes by “Pink”_

“ _Pink” is not as loud as other Pap personalities_

You chuckled to yourself, nodding a little bit. That definitely explained their whore like behavior. It wasn't a bad thing, though. It always made for a good laugh. You shook your head a little, scanning the page once more for any other notes before turning the page.

You were now faced with Serif and Tango. Both of them hadn't changed their outer appearance much. You smiled down at them before sighing and looking down through the notes.

_Like AT, but with dance_

_All monsters have a specific type of dance style_

_Must follow a specific dance type to avoid hit_

_Always bow before dancing_

_Monsters can know more than their given dance_

_Sans goes by “Serif”_

_Papyrus goes by “Tango”_

“ _Serif” is keen on hip-hop_

“ _Tango” is keen on Latin dancing_

_No TPR; only genocide_

There was ice in your veins as your eyes looked across that final line again. And again. And one more time for good measure. You didn't want that to be the case. The papers in your hand crinkled as you balled up your fists, an indescribable anger rolling through your body.

This was why Serif had been so keen on watching you dance with his brother. He was waiting for you to turn and dust him. And Sans hadn't given you a heads up. You felt your fury flowing through you and without thinking about it, got up.

With the folder in hand, you marched from the library, heading to your room. You were going to take this with you for now. And now you also understood why G had given you those cigarettes. You were horribly mad, and you were ready to raise fucking hell.

You slammed the folder back on the bed, snagging one of the cigarettes before cursing silently under your breath. You didn't even have a lighter. Maybe one of the boys was home and you could snag on from them.

You made your way down the first floor, looking out for any of the skeletons. None of them seemed to be home and you were about to say fuck it and light it with the toaster before you looked into the living room.

Stretch was sprawled on the couch, a book in hand and the other tucked behind his head. One leg hung off the side while the other was over the backrest. You saw a sucker between his teeth, the stem rolling lazily. You wanted to smile, you really did. But he had hidden this from you, too.

Your anger was really boiling.

“Hey, Stretch.”

He moved the book aside, a smile on his face and waved to you with the book still in his hands. “hey, honey. what's up?”

You brought the cigarette out from behind your back. “I need a light and I stopped the habit from carrying one around all the time.”

He chuckled, grunting as he rolled over to stand. He placed a bookmark in the book before placing it on table nearby. He motioned you toward the door and you both made your way out into the crisp afternoon air. You rubbed your arms idly before he held his fingers in front of your smoke. You popped the ball quickly before placing it between your lips.

He lit it with his magic, which carried a semi sweet taste to it. There was a hint of honey that seemed to follow. Maybe you were just associating him with honey too much. Would Red's magic taste like mustard? Sans's like ketchup?

The thought made you gag a little.

As you both settled, Stretch turned to you, lighting his own smoke. “didn't take ya for a smoker.”

You snorted. “G said the same thing last night,” you muttered. “I quit cause I couldn't stand the smell that clung to my clothes. But there's always that awful thought of _just one more_.”

“nyeh, i understand that.”

You looked over him, eyes flashing as you said, “Is that right, Papyrus?”

He choked on his smoke for a moment, the orange smoke blowing from his nasal cavity before he waved the rest of it away, looking over at you with a critical eye. He studied you for a moment, and you remembered that in the notes, all of the Sans and Sans personalities were all considered Judges. You had no idea what that meant, but now you were too determined to back down from him.

Stretch wouldn't hurt you.

After a moment, he blew out another breath, his hand scrubbing down his face. The sound of bone on bone still made you wince, even after living with the lot of them for a while now.

“when?”

“I've had my suspicions,” you admitted, picking at the hem of your shirt and taking another drag of the cigarette. You noticed idly that the smoke coming from yours, even as you blew it out, was orange as well. “I remember hearing Blue call you 'Papy' during the pillow fight. Tango has almost called Serif 'Sans'. That's usually how the lot of you messed up.” You sighed, scrubbing a hand over your own face before looking over at him. “How long did you plan on keeping this from me?”

Stretch shrugged. “honestly? most of us _wanted_ to tell you. before you even moved in. classic is the one who withheld the information from you. my question is, who told you?”

Your grin was humorless. “G told me about the special folder at that special desk.”

He rolled his eyelights. “always with that asshole.”

You took one more drag before blowing out the smoke, your anger still simmering beneath the surface. “When is Sans coming home?”

“probably in a few hours. it was red's turn to go with him to work on our project.”

“Then I'll see you in a few hours.”

–

By the time Sans came home, you had gone through all the notes again, tears welling in your eyes at how some of them had to live. It was heartbreaking at how things worked. You shook your head, deciding to keep Morgan on hold just in case you needed to get out for a while. You had a feeling he was going to be mad you were going through his stuff.

There were three other pages you had yet to go through, but you hadn't met these brothers yet. You felt like you were okay with the human versions of Stretch and Blueberry, since they were generally the same person if Red and Buddy, Guy and Sans were anything to go by. You had tucked those away for later.

You wanted to meet them first. Get your own feel for them.

When you heard Sans call out for you, knowing Stretch had told him something, you grabbed the folder, marching down the stairs and hiding it behind your back. Everyone had gathered in the living room, sitting around and talking quietly. Stretch must not have told them everything since everyone seemed to be at ease.

Or at least, they were until you turned into the room and practically threw the folder at his feet, the papers scattering from it. As the rustling of paper sounded around the room, everyone else grew quiet. Your anger, having calmed down some during those few hours, was back to simmering on the surface again.

“What the fuck is this?” you hissed.

“why were you looking through my things, kid?” Sans asked pointedly. His own sockets were lowered in a glare. You had never had him mad at you before, but things were changing too much. “i told you not to look.”

“G told me I should do otherwise!” I seethed. “And I'm glad I did since I don't feel like I'm going crazy anymore!”

“she already knew,” Stretch said from his seat beside Blueberry. “we've all slipped at least once around her. she's not stupid, classic.”

Everyone looked at you before you pointed a finger at Sans.

“You should have told me!” you snapped. Suddenly, you felt the anger leave, replaced by sadness. “I thought you trusted me, Sans.”

That sentence alone seemed to make his own anger dissipate, and you hugged yourself. You stared at Sans still, though, trying to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem mad, he just seemed like he was contemplating what to say next. You rubbed your arms a little as Blueberry suddenly jumped up and ran to you.

Shocked, you let him hug you tightly. He looked up at you with bright, cyan eyelights, little tears pricking the corners of his eye sockets. You were still in wonder at how magic for these guys actually worked.

“PLEASE DON'T BE MAD, Y/N!” he whimpered. “I WANTED TO TELL YOU, AND SO DID SOME OF THE OTHERS! EVEN CLASSIC ME OVER THERE WAS GOING TO!”

You turned your stare to Sans, who was looking away and at the carpet. He had on his sneakers for once, you noticed. He didn't wear them often, usually preferring the comfort of his slippers. It took him at least a year to take your advice to wear something _other_ than his basketball shorts.

You placed your hand on Blueberry's head and smiled down at him, running your hand over his skull gently. “I'm not mad, Blue,” you sighed. “Just a little hurt.”

He seemed satisfied with that answer, although, he definitely still looked a little upset. Without another word, he let you go, but he stayed by your side, putting his hand in yours. You weren't too surprised by the warmth that radiated from the smaller skeleton, but it did feel nice. You gave his hand a tiny squeeze and he gave you one back.

You looked at Sans, then at the others. You should have pieced it together sooner. You knew now, looking at them all and even reading over the notes, that you should have confronted them about this sooner. There was no way anything was just a coincidence.

But wait. If they were here...

“Sans.”

“hm?”

“How did they get here?”

Now you could see him start to sweat a little bit, and you watched as he shifted on his feet before he groaned, shoving his hands deeper in his pockets.

“paps, why don't you and the others go and start dinner?” he said. “we'll keep talking to y/n.”

“BROTHER, ARE YOU SURE–?”

“LET'S GO, CREAMPUFF,” Edge said, huffing as he stood. He took the gentler version of himself and stormed out of the room, Tango and Blueberry hot on their heels. The other four remained, staring at you and watching your reaction.

“might wanna sit down, kitten,” Red said, crossing one leg over the other, his tibia and fibia over his kneecap. “this is gonna take a lot of explaining.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans: just don't go in the library.  
> Reader: *goes into library*  
> Reader: *reads the thing*  
> Reader: Hey, _Papyrus_."  
> Stretch: ah, fuck.  
> Sans: *at work and feels a disturbance in the Force* ah fuck.


	13. Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to a party.  
> G talks to you.  
> Edge is a butt.  
> You make plans with Crooks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3
> 
> Edit: Sorry about posting early and seeming rushed! My mother and I were fighting, and I was being picked up by a friend for the night and didn't want to drag my laptop with me. So I went through and attempted to edit it. If you still seeing something, please let me know. (:
> 
> I love you all.<3
> 
> Song in chapter is:  
> [Without Me - Halsey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6enOG547lk)

After two hours with an interval with dinner, you still only understood a handful of what they told you. The gist you got from it, though, was that somehow, the machine he was so diligently working on in the physics lab had locked on to magical signatures from all over. More specifically, his and his brother's magic. Which had in turn, brought all of these skeletons, and humans, here to this timeline.

“So basically,” you said after the three hour mark, rubbing your temples, “is you not only proved the multiverse theory. But that it's collapsing with them here?”

“kinda,” Stretch said, snapping his fingers. Orange flame shot up when the noise was made and would go away when he separated his fingers. “i wouldn't say collapsing...just more like a train wreck happening.”

“That doesn't sound any better,” you mused. “So...that machine is basically the way they're going home?”

Sans nodded, his hands balling in his pockets of his hoodie. He had taken a seat in one of the chairs closest to the TV, and Red and and Serif were on the ground, playing Call of Duty on the gaming system while they spoke. Stretch was seated beside you. He had at one point pulled you closer and started rubbing slow circles around your shoulders, helping you ease the tension. He had stopped some time after and was now using his lighter fingers to distract himself.

“that's the idea,” Sans said.

“How the hell is that supposed to work if it's what brought them here in the first place?” you asked.

He shook his head. “i'll explain it some other time, buddy.”

It grew silent except for the sounds of guns going off on the boys' game. You drew your feet up closer to your chest, wrapping your arms around them. You watched Red and Serif battle it out, cursing and muttering under their breaths as they went head to head. It was actually really relaxing to watch.

After another few minutes you sighed, looking at the boys who did smoke. “Anyone gonna let bum one until I can cool off completely from this crap?”

Red's eyes erupted in magic and a pack of cigarettes in a red glow came from his hoodie pocket. He didn't even look away from what he was doing while you snatched it from the air and you opened it, taking one out. Huh. He smoked menthol, too, huh? Or maybe he just didn't care what he smoked, given from where he's from.

You passed by him with a hand running over his skull in a silent thanks, plopping his pack in his lap. You didn't even notice he had died in his game, his red eyelights on you as you left the room, Stretch hot on your heels. He had half a mind to follow the both of you out there, but he had a score to settle with the ballerina.

Stretch lit your cigarette for you again and you took in a deep inhale, blowing the orange smoke out quickly before plopping in Red's usual spot. You leaned my head back and groaned, scrubbing a hand over your face and taking another, almost desperate hit, of the cigarette.

You were going to have to kick this habit again. You just knew it.

“you okay, honey?”

You looked over at Stretch as he lit up his own cigarette. You noticed his hands were trembling slightly, and you idly wondered why. Was he nervous you were upset with them?

You were, you weren't going to lie. But it wasn't at all of them. The louder of the bunch seemed to have wanted to tell you from the get go, but Sans must have told them all no. And that's what really hurt. You thought he had trusted you more than this.

It really broke your heart.

“I'm...I'll be alright,” you decided. “I just...I need some time. Might go out with Morgan tonight and just hang out with him and some of our friends.”

Stretch nodded, but you didn't miss the slight hurt expression that crossed his face for thirty seconds. You felt kind of bad at being mad at everyone else with Sans, but you couldn't help it. Someone who didn't even live in the house had basically told you that you weren't going crazy and nothing was a coincidence. If anything, he helped you feel a little more sane.

“what's this? who let the brat smoke?”

Christ on a cracker, not now.

You looked up to glare at Mutt, who was leaning against one of the pillars as he regarded the cigarette in your hand. You rolled your eyes and took a long drag off of it, almost choking as you inhaled and blew it right at his face. He only gave you a shit eating grin.

“PET! WHY ARE YOU RUINING YOUR BODY WITH THAT FILTH?”

Yup. It was time to go see Morgan now.

You stubbed out the cigarette, waving to Stretch before you went back inside, pulling out your phone and typing away to Morgan.

**You:** I would love to join you tonight. Alcohol involved?

His reply was damn near immediate.

**M-Dawg:** Of course. See you in a couple of hours, birdie.

You smiled and tucked your phone in your back pocket before making your way up to your room, keeping your eyes ahead of you instead of acknowledging the skeletons around you.

You didn't think you could feel so hurt from a friend like this.

–

Morgan came to walk with you to the party. You knew a bunch of the people going from school and they'd initially invited you. But you had declined since you thought Daisy would be there as well. According to your wonderful rocker buddy here, he had explained what had happened and told everyone the events of what had been going on behind closed doors.

They'd then told her the party was off.

You talked happily with Morgan, talking about the night before when you went trick or treating with some of the boys and the kids. Morgan chuckled at the story with the old lady and her son but when he looked at you, his brows furrowed slightly.

“You look upset, birdie. Did they do something to you?”

_My best friend lied to me._

“I'm alright. Just found some things out I should have seen sooner,” you mumbled.

“Please tell me it about why they all look so alike and why they act similar,” Morgan chuckled. “Ever since meeting Stretch and Red with Sans, I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head.”

You shook your head. You didn't want to tell Morgan, at least not without Sans's permission. You thought back and wondered if you had asked about it, if he would have told you or not. Thinking a little deeper and knowing his love for evading questions, you decided against it. He wouldn't have told you and would have directed the conversation elsewhere.

You had texted G earlier, thanking him for letting you in on everything. He hadn't messaged back, but you didn't really care about that. You just wanted to get away from the chaos for only a little while.

When you got to the house, you were happy to see there were monsters around as well, and you smiled as you waved to some of the ones you knew. You entered the house, holding onto Morgan's shirt as you finagled your way through the crowd and made it to the kitchen where the alcohol was being held. You made your drink of choice, chuckling with Morgan about the “basic bitch” costumes you could see around the house.

Cat girls, Jokers, Harley Quinns, angels, demons, skeletons. There were a whole bunch of them and you shook your head. Granted, you had done the skeleton one, too, but you had a special reasoning for that. And you thought you had pulled it off splendidly.

You both moved through the house, talking to everyone around you and laughing at stupid ass jokes. Morgan had, at some point, wandered off, but you could still see him. He was sitting in the living room, talking to some girl while leaning up against the wall. He was trying to pull off the “bad boy rocker” look. And, well, it suited him.

As for you, you were chatting idly with the group you were with when a hand snagged your upper arm. With a small squeal of surprise, you turned to face none other than G. He was grinning down at you, his yellow eyelights were helping you focus on his face a little better. You smiled up at him, swaying on your feet a little bit.

Maybe you needed to slow down on the booze a little bit.

“hey, angel.”

“G! What're you doing here?” you asked over the thumping music nearby.

“got invited by some friends i have here at the school,” he said shrugging. “heard through the grapevine you were gonna be here, so i wanted to check to see how you were doing.”

In answer, you held up the still half full cup of rum and coke – mostly rum – and threw it back without blinking. When you looked at him again, he was laughing and shaking his head. He took the cup from you and tossed it somewhere behind him as he took your hand and led you out to the dance floor.

You didn't protest in the slightest as you felt the bass of the song thump through your body. You started swinging your hips in time with the song, and you could feel G behind you, slowly pressing closer as more people joined to dance in on the song. You looked over to see Morgan watching you, a smile on his face. You sent him a thumbs up that you were okay and lost yourself once more in the music.

Over the course of the song, you could feel G's hands on your hips. At first, through your alcohol filled head, you figured maybe he was just making sure he kept you close so he didn't lose you in the throng of the humans around you. After a moment, you realized he was swaying with you, his grip holding onto you firmly.

You didn't object to this either. Why would you? You had danced with Serif and Tango many times. They had often held you close like this, especially when they were showing you a move or a new dance they thought you could do together. Shoving G off would just feel wrong.

You both swung your hips in time to the music. You could feel every hip gyrate, every graze of his distal phalanges against your skin. It was a heady sensation, could almost be as addictive as the cigarettes he smoked. At one point, your back was still to his front when you wound your arms around his neck, and his head had come down, his mouth right by the base of your throat.

Song after song you stayed like this. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, just like it did with Serif and Tango when you danced with them. Now that you thought about it, being with all of them, whether alone, in pairs, or however many were with you, you always felt like everything was just natural. There was no thinking behind it.

Eventually, you felt the urge to pee. You managed to untangle yourself from the taller skeleton and, letting him know where you were going, left the dance floor. You glanced over briefly to see a flock of girls already lining up to take your place. And while it like G was playing it off cool they were there, he looked a tad irritated and disinterested.

You chuckled and made your way to the bathroom. Once finished with your business, you washed your hands and stared at your reflection in the mirror.

Bright, honey colored doe eyes stared back at you, practically glowing and lighting up your face. Your cheeks were a rosy red, some of your blonde hair plastered to your forehead. Your skin was slick with sweat, and through all of this, you noticed there was a goofy ass smile on your face the entire time.

Papyrus had commented on something like that not too long ago. How you seemed to smile and laugh more since coming to stay with the skeletons. Sans had readily agreed, pausing from whatever he had been doing at the time to grin at you.

Your heart swelled at the thought of all of those skeletons. You sighed, your head dropping.

You should really head home. You hadn't even said goodbye, and you knew they were all blowing up your phone. Even Axe was, and he was relatively quiet more often than not. With that resolve, you left the bathroom to go find G.

You found him waiting you by the stairs. He and Morgan were talking lowly with one another, G occasionally glancing at his phone and typing something on it before locking it and going back to the conversation. You came up beside them, wrapping an arm around their waists.

“Hello, ladies!” you whistled, grin wolfish.

“Uh, excuse you?” Morgan said, his tone playfully offended. “I identify as an Apache helicopter. How dare you assume my gender?”

You let out a crackling laugh as G fist bumped him. Shaking your head, you asked, “So what's going on over here?”

G's arm slipped around your shoulder. “the others have been blowing us up nonstop. we need to get you home, angel.”

You gave a small smile, nodding. Morgan gave you a hug, letting you know he was going to stop by later that week to practice vocals and songs. With a final wave, you and G left the party, G holding you to him so you didn't fall into the streets in a drunken stupor.

You were thankful for the chilly breeze as you walked along the sidewalk to get to the main district. You loved this town so much. It had everything separated, with the main district of shops and stuff like that. Then there was the main campus for the school up a long sloping hill, and then there were the student dorms off to the left of those, just down the hill and a little farther. Then the area where you had lived with Daisy and all of them, the residential area, was just north of all of these areas.

And it was so peaceful, and quiet on nights like this.

The boys lived just west of the main district, and they path wasn't much of a path, more of a worn down walkway in the dirt. You really enjoyed being surrounded by so many trees, and the peace and quiet that came with living so far from civilization. Hell, your favorite part was, if you were up early enough, you could see the sun peeking over the treeline and the mountains that surrounded you.

It was perfect.

G helped haul you up the pathway that led up to the house. But you stopped in your tracks, damn near bringing G down to the ground as he halted just as quickly.

“hey, angel. you okay?”

You nodded, but you didn't take another step forward, almost like you were glued to your spot. You looked over to G and you could feel the tears pricking the corner of your eyes as you stared at him in confusion.

“Why didn't he trust me?”

The question came unwanted, and it seemed to shock both of you. You hadn't wanted to say anything, and you had planned to just let it go. But it was eating away at you that Sans hadn't trusted you enough to tell you this. It had made your heart hurt. Hell, your soul was hurting. You reached up do dab at your eyes with the sleeve of your sweater.

G hummed, bringing you in close so he could you keep your balance. “it isn't that he didn't trust you, angel.” He looked down at you. “maybe he was worried that you wouldn't see him as _just him_ , you know?”

You shook your head. “No, I don't know.”

He chuckled and pulled you further up the path. He set you down on the ground, leaning you up against a tree and pulled out a pack of his cigarettes, handing her one before pulling one for himself. He lit his up before bending down and doing the same for you.

Yellow smoke billowed from between your lips and you sighed, leaning against the rough bark of the tree. “I don't know what you mean, G.”

“think about what you found,” he replied, his smoke coming from his nasal cavity. “think about _how many_ you found.”

You nodded, “There were a lot. The only ones I didn't see were like, the last three pages; I wanted to meet them just like I met you guys. Well, except for the...human versions of Blue and Stretch.”

G nodded. “okay. keep this in mind. if you had known before, would you have treated them all like the same person?”

You were taken aback. Treat them all like same person? Even if they _were_ the same person, they were still different from one another. You didn't really see Red as “Sans”. You saw him as Red. It was the same thing with all the others you had met in your time here. They were the same, but they were different.

But, looking at it from a different angle, you could see what G was getting at. Maybe, in some other plane of time and space, you would have treated them like the same person. Even though they were very clearly different people and deserved to be treated as such.

You nodded your understanding, even though the alcohol was making your head feel fuzzy. “I get it,” you murmured. You looked back up at him, holding your arms out. “Take me home?”

“gladly.”

Without preamble, he hoisted you up and helped take you up the rest of the path. When you looked up, Red and Stretch were sitting in their respective chairs, smoking and talking quietly. Papyrus and Blue were playing around a tree, looking like they were tying something around it. Edge and Blackberry were on their opposite side, kneeling and fiddling with something. Sans and Serif were watching their brothers, Mutt sitting in front of them smoking his stupid dog treat. Axe was resting against a pillar nearest Serif, his beanie pull over his eyes as he dozed. Crooks and Tango were at another tree, setting something up.

As though now fully aware you were there, all eyelights turned to face you. Edge and Blackberry stood as you came closer, and you made your way over to Sans. He stood rather quickly when you came over, his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets. No one else made a move to get up or come over to you. You smiled at G as he let you go, going to stand and lean on a railing nearby.

You looked to Sans.

“I'm sorry,” you whispered.

He looked shocked. His reaction alone told you he hadn't expected it, but you didn't think you would either. But it was only fair. After all, you had uncovered his secret and looked through his personal stuff without his permission. So, sure, maybe he did break your trust. But you broke his as well when you took initiative instead of pestering him about it.

“kid...”

“I shouldn't have looked through your stuff,” you said, interrupting what he was saying. “You told me to stay away from it, and I did it anyway.” You looked down and away, staring at Serif's trainers and Axe's slippers. “So...I'm sorry.”

There was a chuckle next to you and you looked up to see Sans shaking his head, his grin still in place. When he looked down at you, he spoke.

“kid, you're not the only one in the wrong here,” he said. “i shoulda been honest with you before you even moved in. but i wasn't, and that's on me. so, if you wanna leave, i don't blame you.”

You blinked a couple times as the weight of the stares pierced through you. They really thought you were about to leave. They really thought you were going to leave them? Now? After bonding with them and having fun and just doing even regular house things? After the massive fort?

They must be crazy.

“I'm not leaving,” you said softly.

There was silence from all around before Mutt blew out a flume of purple smoke from his fangs.

“told ya.”

You were suddenly surrounded on all sides, like his voice had snapped them to attention and they were coming to terms you were staying. They all seemed to talk at once, apologizing and such. Well, for the most part. Edge and Blackberry were all about their pride, saying they knew you weren't going to leave. Mutt and Axe stayed silent, watching you with their eyelights as their brothers surrounded you in your mini skeleton pile.

G said he was taking his leave before he seemed to just vanish into thin air. You didn't even get to question it before you were being hugged and pinched and poked by everyone around. You didn't realize you were laughing as you were swatting their hands away. Still, Axe and Mutt watched you from their perches. Axe had pulled out a cigarette of his own, blowing a flume of blue smoke into the air and his eyelight unusually large.

Mutt stood, brushing off the low rise jeans he wore and making sure his hood was still pulled up over his head. It made you wonder if skeletons ever got cold.

“m'lord, you said you would like t' ask your pet something once she came back,” he said, opting to lean against the pillar again.

“AH YES, THANK YOU, MUTT.” Blackberry turned to look at you and you braced yourself for the name you knew was coming. “PET, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU A CHANCE TO COME SEE YOUR MASTER'S HOME! I ASSURE YOU, IT WILL BE MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN THIS HOVEL THESE MILKSOPS STAY IN.”

You had to reign in the urge not to laugh outright at his choice of words. You can say for certain you had never heard the term “milksop” before.

“SHE WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

Startled, you turned to see Edge glowering down at the little version of his brother. Or would be a little version of him? Because both were absolutely fitting. While he was tiny in stature like his brother, he had Edge's commanding presence. But he wasn't intimidating in the slightest.

“i suggest you let y/n answer, edge,” Mutt said, his amber eyelights cutting over to the other version of himself. “this isn't your concern.”

“IT IS WHEN I DON'T TRUST EITHER OF YOU FARTHER THAN I CAN THROW YOU!” Edge snapped.

As Mutt stood upright, Red came around you to stand beside his brother, almost like he was standing in front of him to protect him. There was a feeling of static in the air and without realizing you, looked up to the sky to check for clouds when you saw a familiar flash of red. You looked back down to see the static was coming from not only Red, but from Mutt, too.

They looked like they were facing off, and it took a moment for anyone to snap out of it to get things pulled apart. Sans went over and shoved Red and Edge toward the house, muttering something to the shorter of the two before shutting the door in their faces. In the quiet that followed, you could hear Red telling his brother something, but it was too low for you to hear otherwise.

Truth be told, that had scared you just the tiniest bit. You didn't know much about their magic other than the brief introduction you had gotten from Red when he had gone after Daisy. You pursed your lips as you looked around and observed the others. Stretch and Blueberry were frowning at the display, and Crooks was wringing his hands together. Serif and Tango were shaking their heads, shifting their feet as they moved to give you one more hug and head inside. Papyrus followed suit, letting Sans know he would talk to them about them.

Axe, however, looked absolutely downtrodden that the fight had ended before it had even begun. It made you wonder about him a little more as you recalled the notes you had read. He would be the closest version of Sans that was really Sans. Sure, Red and Serif were pretty close. But the difference of this was that Frisk ran a neutral route, whatever that meant.

Whatever it was, it was the only difference between the two timelines. That was the common thing with all of them; some kid fell, and wanted to get home. On the way through, they befriended all the monsters. But maybe that wasn't the case with Frisk.

You'd have to ask Axe or Crooks.

Instead you sighed and looked to Blackberry and Mutt. “I'm not your pet. And I'll come by for lunch in a few days. I still have to make cookies with Crooks first.”

“YOU _WHAT_!”

You nearly had a heart attack as Edge came storming back out, almost toppling Sans and Serif over in the process. He looked like he was about to go bat shit crazy on you, and you found yourself taking a step back in shock as he honed in on you.

Everyone else seemed just as equally stunned, minus Blue who had known the entire time. Even Stretch didn't look as shocked. They must have talked about it. You turned your attention back to irate skeleton in front of you instead.

“I said–”

“I AM AWARE OF WHAT YOU SAID,” he snapped now. “YOU CAN'T GO OVER THERE. NO DISCUSSION!”

You glared up at him, straightening your spine and placing your feet on the ground firmly. “I can do what I damn well please,” you snipped right back. “What the fuck do you care?”

“boss, come ba–”

“SILENCE, SANS!”

Now that you were aware of who they were exactly, you noticed he didn't care what he called his brother by. None of them were even fazed at how he spoke to him, and that just made you all the more mad. And made you really want to piss him off. You were going to regret it come Monday's training session, but you didn't give a damn at this point.

“I'm going, and that's final,” you intoned, crossing your arms over your chest as you stared up at him. “I'm not changing my mind, _Papyrus_.”

He growled something at you that you couldn't make out and turned on his heel. Red yelped and moved out of the way, avoiding his brother's rampage just in time. After Edge was out of sight and you deflated a little, you rubbed a hand over your face and looked at Stretch. He already had a cigarette pulled out and was handing it to you. You took it gratefully, but before he could light it with a flick of his fingers, Axe was there, lighting it for you.

Blue smoke blew from between your lips as you regarded the rest of the skeletons. They were all staring at you with mixed expressions. Sans looked like he was about to take the cigarette and smash it to pieces, same with Blue, Tango, Papyrus, Crooks and Blackberry. You waved them off as you moved and sat down on the porch step.

“So. It's settled then,” you huffed. You looked to Crooks. “I can come by tomorrow afternoon, if that's okay with you and Axe?”

Now he looked ready to jump over the moon. “OF COURSE! I, THE GREAT CROOKS, WOULD BE HAPPY TO HOST FOR YOU! OH, WE COULD EVEN HAVE LUNCH!”

You didn't miss the way everyone except for Axe seemed to tense up at this. Even you thought you should decline that part of the offer. But with the way Crooks looked so ecstatic, you couldn't bring yourself to say no.

Instead you smiled and nodded. “Sounds good.”

Now Axe did seemed surprised, but when he noticed you watching, he relaxed his expression, grinning. “heh, sounds good, bro.”

“EXCELLENT!”

You went up to the ashtray and stubbed out the smoke. You really needed to knock this habit again. Shouldn't be too hard this time, you mused to yourself. It wasn't like last time where you had been smoking for a few years. Now it simply been something to get your mind off the mild panic attack. And to make sure you didn't strangle Sans when you first saw him a few hours prior.

“Alright, I'm going to bed, guys.”

With that, you waved goodnight to everyone before making your way into the house. You didn't hear anything, and Red wasn't downstairs anymore. When you went to your room, you made sure to shut the door quietly behind you and almost collapsed on your bed.

This was more of an emotional roller coaster than you thought it would be.

But you didn't mind it. You smiled as you recalled the expressions of the skeletons that had surrounded you when you said you weren't leaving. They had all seemed awestruck, surprised you would stay after something so monumental came out.

It had filled you with determination.

You dragged yourself from your bed long enough to take a quick shower and change into a pair of pajamas before you finally called it a night and shut your lights off.

–

Blueberry was bouncing on his booted feet when you came out the next morning. The sun had barely reached over the mountains, and you let out another yawn as you stretched your arms over your head. It was too early for you on your day off, almost seven thirty in the morning. The chill of the morning had you wearing one of your old sweaters.

Papyrus was already kneeling in front of the flower beds, humming to himself happily as you and went over to him. You didn't say anything as you worked alongside them, which they had grown used to. You weren't a morning person by any means, and you didn't have your usual coffee to bring you to life yet.

Blue stopped working long enough to look at you for a minute before going back what he was doing. “YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL AROUND THEM.”

You blinked blearily at the small skeleton before asking, “What do you mean?”

“YOU READ THE NOTES,” Papyrus chimed in. “ABOUT HOW THEY...THEY...”

They couldn't say “eat people”. You knew that's what they were getting at, and part of you was beginning to feel vexed again at just how harsh they were being with him. Crooks was just as sweet as the rest of them. Except for Edge.

Edge could get fucked by a cactus right now.

You shook off the thoughts and stabbed the ground with your shovel with displeasure. Both boys regarded you, their expressions startled. You stood, sighing, and rubbing your dirtied hands on your track pants before staring down at them.

“I'm not in the mood for hearing this,” you said flatly. “I'm going to go make some coffee and start getting breakfast ready.”

They both started to protest as you walked away. You didn't want to hear it. Sure, he was a little scary. But that didn't make him any less sweet than the rest of the house. Or any of the skeletons – or humans – that you had met, for that matter.

You slammed the sliding door closed on your way in, heading for the kitchen. Stretch and Sans were both already there, and Red was currently digging through the fridge muttering to himself about his need for mustard. You rolled your eyes as you squeezed past Sans to get to the coffee stuff.

As you measured everything out, Sans came up beside you, leaning against the counter.

“hey, kiddo. lookin' kinda _dark_ over there,” he commented, a single digit tapping the dark roast container. “looks like you could really _roast_ someone, huh?”

“I'll put you over the fire and roast you if you don't stop,” you practically snarled before you could help yourself. You sighed and stopped doing what you were doing, turning to pull him into a hug. “Sorry. I'm just...I'm mad. At all of you.”

Red sputtered and I turned to see him wiping mustard off his teeth with his hoodie sleeve. “th' fuck did we do?”

You turned your glare to him. “For one, being gross. Two, you guys act like Crooks and Axe are gonna eat me or something.”

All three stared at you dumbfounded before looking at each other. None of them said a word and Stretch stuck a toothpick in his mouth. You were now trying wonder where he'd gotten it, and how long he'd been holding it.

“honey, you read their file...”

“File be _damned_!” you exploded, your fist hitting the counter. “They're still versions of you, goddamnit! I'm not going to sit here and watch you discriminate them over what _they had to do to survive_!”

Those last words came out a shout that echoed through the house. You felt your chest heaving, and your eyes were glaring daggers at the different skeletons who weren't looking at you anymore. Red was glaring at the bottle of mustard in his hands. Stretch was looking out the window over the sink and Sans was staring at the ground.

There were the sounds of footsteps running through the house before Tango appeared in the entryway, his eyelights looking over the scene in front of him. You softened your glare as you turned your eyes to him, giving him a smile before you went back to what you were doing.

“Morning, Tango,” you said, laying the sweetness in your voice on thick. “Breakfast is going to be a little late, unless you'd like to help me out.”

He looked around the room one more time before looking at you and nodded, a confused smile on his teeth as he came further into the room. “OF COURSE! THE GREAT TANGO WOULD LOVE TO HELP!”

“That's great,” you hummed. “Now, if the others would be so _kind_ as to leave the kitchen, we can get started.”

Your words were biting, and you felt bad as the three left the room, Sans glancing back at you before he vanished from sight. You blew out a harsh breath as Tango began to gather things, placing them on the counter top before moving to grab the stuff you needed to cook.

You finished putting the coffee on and turned it on, moving to start cooking with Tango, moving around him as you whisked the eggs on one side and moving to the stove to brown the sausage. You hummed to yourself, closing your eyes and tapping my foot as you quietly sang along to the song in my head.

“ _Found you when your heart was broke_  
_I filled your cup until it overflowed_  
_Took it so far to keep you close (Keep you close)_  
_I was afraid to leave you on your own_

“ _I said I'd catch you if you fall_  
_And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (All)_  
_And then I got you off your knees_  
_Put you right back on your feet_  
_Just so you can take advantage of me.”_

Your ex's face came back into your mind. Only this time, you could only watch as the money you had grown to hate, changed his outlook on it. He went from uncaring and frugal, to trying to live through your money. Cheap dates became expensive dinners. Silly toys turned into jewelry and clothes. Window shopping turned into trying to buy the entire store.

Money changes everyone, and you wish you were able to go back now and fix it.

“ _Tell me how's it feel sittin' up there_  
_Feeling so high but too far away to hold me_  
_You know I'm the one who put you up there_  
_Name in the sky_  
_Does it ever get lonely?_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Baby, I'm the one who put you up there_  
_I don't know why (yeah, I don't know why)_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Live without me_  
_Baby, I'm the one who put you up there_  
_I don't know why (I don't know why, yeah yeah)_

“ _Gave love 'bout a hundred tries (hundred tries)_  
_Just running from the demons in your mind_  
_Then I took yours and made 'em mine (made 'em mine)_  
_I didn't notice 'cause my love was blind.”_

And that's what it really had been. Your love had been blind, and you had tried fixing things. Going back to the way they used to be. But your mother wasn't having it. She was slowly trying to buy him off, to make him go away. But he hadn't. Until she had finally pulled out the big guns, and you were left watching as he drove away in his beat up car.

“ _Said I'd catch you if you fall (fall)_  
_And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (all)_  
_And then I got you off your knees_  
_Put you right back on your feet_  
_Just so you can take advantage of me_

“ _Tell me how's it feel sittin' up there_  
_Feeling so high but too far away to hold me_  
_You know I'm the one who put you up there_  
_Name in the sky_  
_Does it ever get lonely?_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Baby, I'm the one who put you up there_  
_I don't know why (yeah, I don't know why)_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Live without me_  
_Baby, I'm the one who put you up there_  
_I don't know why, yeah.”_

You had wanted nothing more than to be there with him. Watch him as he grew into this fantastic person you knew he could be. If only he had kept up the hard work. Ignored your mother like he did for three long years. You had truly thought that after college and growing up some that you were going to marry him and spend the rest of your life with him. You had truly thought he was the one for you. And him turning his back on you for money had been one of the worst heartbreaks you had ever, will ever, experience.

“ _You don't have to say just what you did_  
_I already know (I know)_  
_I had to go and find out from them_  
_So tell me how's it feel (oh-woah)_

“ _Tell me how's it feel sittin' up there_  
_Feeling so high but too far away to hold me_  
_You know I'm the one who put you up there_  
_Name in the sky_  
_Does it ever get lonely?_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Thinking you could live without me_  
_Baby, I'm the one who put you up there_  
_I don't know why (yeah, I don't know why).”_

“MISS (Y/N)?”

You let out a startled gasp, almost dropping the spatula that was mixing around the eggs in the pan. Tango was watching me with large eyelights that looked like they were slightly wavering. You didn't realize the two of you had worked hard enough, and that the croissants were in the oven and the sausage was just about done. You had poured yourself your coffee at some point, but you couldn't remember actually doing it.

You took a drink of it anyway, tentatively at first. It was still pretty hot, but cool enough you could at least get a few chugs in before it started burning your throat. You put the mug down, staring at the last remnants of the coffee before you turned to Tango with a bright smile.

“I'm alright,” you said, smiling a little.

“YOU SOUNDED WONDERFUL,” he said, a faint orange hue lighting his cheekbones. “YOU SHOULD SING MORE OFTEN.”

You felt your face heat up as you chuckled, thanking him before turning back to what you were doing. The thoughts of your ex had been getting more frequent, and you didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. While one could argue it was bad, maybe it really wasn't.

He hadn't been a bad guy at first. But when money came into play? That's when shit hit the fan. And then your mother ruined the one thing that could have gotten you away.

You still hated her for it.

When breakfast was done, you and Tango headed into the dining room where everyone was already seated. None of the boys really looked at you. Edge, Serif and Tango all seemed really confused as you took a seat beside Edge today, moving to scoot your chair closer to the emotionally constipated skeleton rather than hit up the puns with the others.

They weren't even talking, you realized as you passed around plates and bowls. No one said a word as they helped themselves to the food. It made you a little sad, and you did feel bad for blowing up on them all. Hell, even Blueberry looked absolutely downtrodden and wouldn't even meet your gaze when you looked at him.

When you where halfway through breakfast, you let out a huff. “You guys really need to quit pouting.”

Stretch looked at you, chewing on a piece of toast before he answered. “we're not pouting,” he muttered. “we don't even have the lips to do that.”

“Look. I get you guys are all worried and shit, I do,” you said, rubbing your forehead. “But I'm a big girl. I can handle myself. Axe and Crooks aren't going to do anything to me, alright?”

“AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?”

You looked over at Edge, who had glanced up from his newspaper – seriously, this fucker reads one every morning – and was now watching you with narrowed sockets.

“Because I trust that they won't,” you said evenly.

“THAT'S JUST STUPID ON YOUR PART.”

This prick was really testing your patience. Instead of answering, you finished your breakfast in silence, but the others were finally talking and striking up conversation. I brought out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I saw Crooks's name and clicked on it, putting my fork down so I could use both hands to text him.

**You:** Hey, when are you available today?

**SkeleSweets:** I'M AVAILABLE NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME AND START EARLY!!

You could feel the excitement he felt through the text message. You smiled and let him know you'd be over in about half an hour before putting your phone in your pocket and standing up. You were aware that all eyelights were on you, but conversation still flowed. Even Edge looked like he was ready to stop you from getting ready to go over.

You huffed a little as you put your stuff in the sink. You just needed to make sure you texted at least one of them to let them know you weren't in any real danger. With that decision in mind, you went upstairs to get ready for your baking time with Crooks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edge: I KNEW SHE WASN'T GOING TO LEAVE US! THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE KNOWS ALL!  
> MC: I'm hanging out with the horror bros, bye/  
> Edge: I WILL TOSS THIS WENCH OUT MYSELF!


	14. Cooking Date And A Dash Of Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to hang out with the Horror bros, you and Red having a little chat.  
> Someone pays a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. This is a chapter now. I did my best with these boys so if it comes off as...bad, let me know. ^w^''
> 
> So, I met a fan on Saturday. I was wearing my Asriel hoodie and my shirt that had a whole bunch of different Sans Aus on it. She saw it and I told her I cosplay as Frisk and I also write fanfiction. I showed her when she asked and when she saw this one, she got so excited. I met a fan and all I could think "what do now?" **I'm so horrible in these situations.**
> 
> _My dad was amused by it though. xD_
> 
> Song in chapter is:  
> [Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rjcNsLezW8)
> 
> With that, come follow my Tumblr and emnjoy my reposts and if you'd ever like to talk, just hit me up! (:
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Enjoy. <3
> 
> Sidenote!: The end of the chapter is dedicated to **Mikrebyle**. You wanted to see what happened to the bitch, so here you go. (;

After you were done getting ready, you threw your hair up into a messy bun. The boys had said nothing as you walked up to your room, and from the third floor, you couldn't hear any of them. Even the loudest of the bunch only sounded like a hum from way up here. Not that you minded. Sometimes being away from the louder skeletons was good for your headaches.

You sighed, rubbing your temples. Your biggest was Edge, and how hot and cold he was being. He was nice one minute, like when he let you choose the music in his car. And then he was ready to tear your head off and feed it to the wolves.

There was a knock at your door and you glared at it for a minute before calling, “Come in, I guess.”

You watched as Red came in, shutting the door quickly behind him. He pressed his skull to the door for a moment before turning to face you. He didn't really look at you, choosing instead to look at the ground, the tip of his combat boot digging into the plush carpet.

“'m sorry.”

You turned to fully face him, arms crossed. “It's fine. What do you want?”

He winced at how harsh you sounded, and you felt a pang of guilt roll through your body. You ignored it as best as you could as he glanced up at you, an unsure grin in place. It was weird seeing this usually confident skeleton act so meek. You uncrossed your arms and waited for his answer, tapping your foot.

“i was gonna walk ya over t' where they live,” Red finally said, looking up at you fully. “since ya don't know where their cabin 's at.”

You eyed him. “This isn't just so you can babysit?”

He held his hands up, palms out in surrender. “nope. 'll leave right after i drop ya off.”

“Alright, fine,” you conceded. “Then let's get going. I'm already late.”

You both left your room and headed downstairs. Red stopped at Sans's office door, letting him know we were leaving and he'd be back shortly so they could go work on their project. Sans nodded, looking at you before going back to his computer. He seemed indifferent, but you caught the worry there in his sockets.

When you left the house, you shivered, wrapping your coat around you tighter. It was starting to get chillier now, and you knew you needed to start bringing out the heavier clothes with winter coming in full force. It was only two days after Halloween, and you hated it. It was like once November hit, _bam_ , cold weather everywhere.

Red didn't say anything as he strolled alongside you. He even gave you a cigarette, lighting it with his own magic like Stretch did for you. Instead of the tangy taste of mustard, you were greeted with something like cherries, and it made you want to chuckle a little bit. Red like his magic.

“d'ya see me any different?”

The question threw you, and you looked over at him. He had his own cigarette between his fangs, the golden fang dull in the lack of light around you. He seemed to be trying to bury himself in his hoodie, and he actually looked worried about what your answer would be.

You only shook your head. “No, I don't, actually.”

“wait, really?”

“Why would I?” you asked now, glancing at him as you took a drag of your own smoke. “I mean, yeah. You guys are all variations of the same two skeletons. But you're all different in your own ways, while still be similar at the same time.”

“issat how ya figure 't?”

“Look, you're Red. You're edgy, kinda tsundere. Stretch is lazy, really sweet when he wants to be. Blueberry is hyper as hell, and probably shouldn't be given sugar. Sin? Don't even get me started on the differences there.”

He chuckled now, but it sounded almost forced. “so yer sayin' that we all basically are different while bein' th' same?”

“Exactly what I'm saying, numbskull.”

His grin really did make your heart feel a little lighter. You weren't going to forgive them all just yet; they had lied to you, in a sense. You had thought Sans trusted you more than that. But you guess you were going to have to take it with a grain of salt and move on from this. Now that you knew this, you could get to know each of them a little better without having to worry about wondering if you're just imagining things.

You saw a little cabin in the distance. It looked a little worn down, but it looked cozy. Homey, kind of. The logs looked worn from the weather and you could see there had been new shutters put in, along with a new front door. There were a few touches of flowers here and there around the house and you smiled as you thought of sweet little Crooks spending hours making sure the things stayed alive.

Red stopped you at the front door, a hand on your arm as you raised it to knock. “'f ya need one of us, give a shout, yeah? call us 'r somethin'.”

You smiled and nodded. “I'll let you know when I'm ready to head home, okay?”

With that, he nodded and slowly backed away from the house as you knocked. You heard the clatter of pans and Crooks's excited shout along with a holler for Axe to get his lazy coccyx up. You chuckled as Crooks opened the door and pulled you into a hug.

“HUMAN FRIEND! YOU ARE JUST IN TIME TO HELP PREPARE LUNCH!” he said excitedly as he brought you into the house, still hugging you. “COME! I SHALL CREATE YOU MY FAMOUS FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI!”

He set you down. You fixed your shirt as you chuckled, “Sounds good, bud.”

As you went to follow Crooks, there was a small charge in the air before you let out a loud yelp. Axe now stood in front of you, grinning. That single red eyelight rolled around in his skull as he looked at you. You noticed he wasn't wearing his beanie, and his hood wasn't up, which let you see the gaping hole in the side of his skull.

Christ in a mini skirt, that looked so painful. Your heart twisted in your chest as you imagined any number of ways he could have gotten that. But you didn't want to be rude and ask about it. Instead, you shoved his shoulder, glaring.

“You just scared the hell out of me!” you grunted. “Fuckin' rude.”

Axe let out a deep chuckle before lowering his broken socket at you. “sorry, sparrow. Didn't mean to make ya _jump out of your skin_.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, okay. So...” You glanced over to the open doorway, where Crooks was gathering things for making his friendship spaghetti. You looked at Axe and gave a tiny smile. “So I noticed you don't really like calling him Crooks. Am I safe to assume you don't like the name Axe?”

You watched his eyelight shrink in size by at least half as he stared at you. You shifted from one foot to the other as he just stared at you, his eyelight flicking between looking at your eyes. You were serious, though. You had noticed that whenever someone called him Axe, or called his brother Crooks, he either got super irritable or defensive. You were eventually going to ask all the guys this, but you figured you'd start with them.

He chuckled again, and you saw his fingers twitching in his hoodie pocket where he'd stuffed them. “heh. you're a smart girl,” he muttered. “but you're right. i don't like the name. don't like what they call paps either. overheard 'em all sayin' it was because of his teeth.”

You felt the rage beginning to build again, but you tamped it down harshly before you gave him a smile. “So, what's it gonna be? Axe or Sans?”

“prefer sans, but call me what'cha want, sparrow.”

Sparrow. Another name to add to the list. You wondered his reasoning behind it, but you didn't get a chance to ask as Crooks called your name and you headed into the kitchen. Everything was laid out and ready to be made, and there was even meat already thawed out and ready to be used. You glanced at it, and the boys must have taken your quiet stare as suspicion since Axe shifted on his feet and looked over at Crooks. Both boys shared a long look before you smiled.

“Venison, right?” you asked, looking up at Crooks. “My dad and I used to go hunting and use the meat from deer all the time.”

Crooks brightened and Axe seemed to visibly relax when you spoke. As you continued to talk, Axe watched the two of you interact. You weren't scared of him, and you weren't scared of his brother. He watched as the two of you moved about in the kitchen, offering his own input every now and then with a pun.

The way you smiled, and the way you seem to make Papyrus light up...hell, it was the most perfect sight in the world. He couldn't help but admit he also liked the way he made your heart race when he was close. He didn't know if it was because you actually did fear them, or if it was because of something more, but he really wanted to find out.

He had even expected a question about his injury. It was one of the few things he did remember, and yet...nothing. You didn't even question it, even as those honey eyes glanced over it, sadness taking your features for a moment. He had wanted to wipe that frown from your face before it even settled in. And it was the strangest thing.

He was used to hunting humans. Hell, monsters even. Starving in the Underground had been the absolute worst, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone. His soul constricted when he thought of you down there with him and Paps, wasting away into nothing from lack of food.

He hated the fact they had been brought here. He hated that... _perfect_ version of himself, who didn't get left Underground to starve and fight the monsters he had loved and cherished. Who didn't get his skull bashed in just to protect his brother. Didn't have to feel the never ending pain of looking at Papyrus and knowing you failed him.

He wanted to work on that machine with the rest of them, but his memory was spotty at best. He didn't even remember the kid very well. He just knew they had...left. They had killed the king and just left them there to **f u c k i n g r o t**.

He could feel his hand creeping up to his broken socket again, a habit he was still trying his best to kick. The nervous tick made the others uncomfortable, and they hated when he did it. His other hand was curling and releasing, trying to find the grip on his hatchet. He needed to find food for Paps before he starved to dust –

“Sans?”

Your voice drew him from whatever horror had been plaguing his mind and his eyelight snapped to you. You were looking at him with worry, your eyes flitting over his face as you gauged his reaction. His hand snapped down, and he shoved it back into his hoodie pocket, clenching his fists together as he gave her a tight smile.

“sorry, sparrow. 'm alright.”

You gave him a smile and he was damned to hell if he thought he needed to have you right then and there. That most primal part of him, the one that existed in all the skeletons, was awakening. It wanted her, it needed her, _it craved her_. Back home, that primal part of him had been known as the Butcher. Here, he was going to use it to stake his damn claim.

Fuck what that bogus version of him said. The moron created that bond whether he realized it or not. He never staked his claim, and now it was out in the open for any of them.

You watched as Crooks managed the noodles, noticeably better than Papyrus had been. He worked with ease in the kitchen that you knew didn't come from your friend's help. He had already known how to do this. It was probably practice from trying to hide the taste of the...stuff they had to eat.

It was killing you not asking questions, but you weren't privy to ask them. Axe was much like the original Sans; tight toothed and not willing to talk about things. When you had suggested a therapist, he had laughed it off and told you he was going to be fine. Even though there were night when Papyrus would call asking how to help him through his nightmares.

You stirred the meat in the sauce for a little while longer, watching as it bubbled on the surface and around the edges. You had a little frown on your face. You had noticed Axe go horribly quiet and when you had looked over, he had totally space out. His eyelight was the size of a nickel, and his hand had been creeping toward his unlit socket. You could see his hand twitching in his pocket, like he was clenching his fist or trying to grab for something.

When you had called to him, his eyelight had snapped to you, but he had seemed to be stuck. He looked like he was going to kill you. It took you three times, calling his actual name, before the eyelight had blown back up and he was watching you like he usually did. His hand had flown from his socket and buried itself in his hoodie.

“You wanna set the table for us?” you asked softly, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. “We'll be done here soon.”

“sure thing.”

He went over to a cupboard and pulled out three plates, three cups and dug through a drawer for some forks. As he placed them on the table behind you, Crooks drained the noodles, and ran cold water over them for a minute before putting them into a bowl beside the sink. You turned the heat off the stove top as he took the meat and sauce and poured it over the noodles, placing everything in the sink to soak and wash off as he stirred the noodles and sauce together.

It smelled absolutely heavenly. You remember going hunting with your dad once, and when you had shot a squirrel, you had sat on the floor of the woods, crying for a good twenty minutes before you saw it get up and move, just fine. The shot had missed and you had felt absolute relief.

“what are ya thinking about?”

You had sat down with the boys as Crooks dished out the spaghetti. You knew they hated those nicknames, but thinking them as such would help you differentiate between your Sans and Papyrus and these two. You felt bad, but it would help you remember.

Axe was watching you, his elbow on the table and his head resting in the palm of his hand. The phalanges on his other hands made clacking noises as they tapped against the tabletop rhythmically. You gave a small smile.

“I was remembering the first time I went hunting and thought I shot a squirrel.”

You regaled them with the story as Papyrus sat down to eat. By the end of it, Axe was laughing uproariously, slapping the table with his hand as he choked down his food. You waited for him to finish, eating your own plate and by god, it was the best thing you had eaten in so long. He really knew how to mix his spices and just how much to add.

Plus, not trying to put out a fire helped, too.

You told them more stories about the hunting trips you took with your dad. Axe seemed to enjoy listening to them, cracking up every time you felt bad about hitting an animal. Crooks listened with a smile, but you didn't fail to notice the way he watched his brother laughing. It was like he watching something happen for the first time in a long time. You guessed, considering the seriousness of their universe, they didn't get really enjoy life and laugh very often.

It made your heart clench.

All of you ate another plate of spaghetti before you let out a long breath, patting your stomach. “I literally just had breakfast before this. Man, all of you skeletons are gonna make me fat.”

Axe chuckled. “more meat on your bones, the better.” He winked, and you caught the small cannibal innuendo in there before letting out a snort.

“No one's eating this piggy.”

He looked like he really wanted to say something, but thought better of it, instead giving you a sly grin and standing. He pulled a pack of full flavors from his pocket and went to hand you one. You knew you shouldn't. You really knew you shouldn't; you needed to kick the habit in the ass before it got the better of you again.

Crooks nodded at you and shoved you a little as Axe walked backwards, waving the cigarette in the air after him with a crooked grin on his face. Oh, that asshole knew he was tempting you!

“Go On Ahead,” Crooks whispered in your ear. You shivered from his proximity and felt your heart picking up speed. “I'll Deal With The Lunch Dishes So We Can Get Started On The Cookies.”

You sent him a smile over your shoulder before you chased after Axe, laughing as his sockets widened and he turned tail, heading out the door with quick steps as fast as his slippers allowed him. You caught up to him and Crooks watched the door close and heard your voices outside as Axe dangled the confounded crap above your head.

Crooks watched the two of you through the window, his soul soaring. It had been so long since he had seen Sans laugh like that. It had always been bad after the...incident with Undyne. Sans could laugh and chuckle, but it always sounded so dark and hollow.

Hopeless.

He had tried his best to make him feel better, even after losing a good portion of his memory. And Crooks had learned a long time ago the name “Frisk” was forbidden. Sans admitted he barely remembered anything about their good human friend, but any time their name was mentioned, he would go into an uncontrollable rage.

He remembered Sans's broken expression after leaving that voicemail on their phone. It had been before the incident, before Undyne had totally lost her mind. When they were all still close and good friends. That was when the hopeless feeling had begun to swell inside of his older brother, and he felt like there was nothing he could do.

But watching him with you? Crooks grinned as he scrubbed the dishes. He would love to see it again and again! You always seemed to bring out the best in him, even if you all only spoke here and there. This was a good chance to get to know their new human friend.

And possible bond mate.

Axe had explained it to him a little bit. Well, to the best of his abilities. The head wound really did a number on his memory. His magic had taken a tumble from it; he couldn't teleport far distances like he used to. It took a lot out of him just to 'port to the house. Even his days at the lab were almost all wiped clean. He couldn't help the other versions of them work on it since he couldn't remember most of the stuff it dealt with.

Axe had explained it to him, and Crooks really thought it was silly. Why, he had a dating manual, after all! He could read how to get the perfect mate for himself! After all, their old human friend had surely passed him with flying colors in puzzles _and_ dating!

His teeth turned down in a frown and he stared at the soapy water for a while. He wasn't usually one to worry, but he did often wonder what had happened to them. They had done so well, befriending all the monsters and making their way through the Underground. Everyone was so happy to have a new friend and finally be able to reach the surface.

And then they killed the king and left. They had never come back, and he couldn't but wonder if it was because they truly didn't want to, or if it was because something had happened to them after they went back to the Surface. Maybe they got locked up in a jail or a ward because she was claiming they were all real, not just bedtime stories.

He sighed as put the last of the dishes in the dish rack before drying off his hands with the worn down rag and putting his tattered gloves on. He went over to the living room, watching through the window as you and Sans interacted. This was the first time he'd ever seen Sans so at ease with a human, especially after what happened with Frisk.

But he supposed that had to do with being bond mates, even if their tiny human friend had no idea that's what it was. She lit up the entire room, and her smile always dazzled him. He loved the way her heart had sped up when he had drawn near to whisper to her. He hadn't wanted Sans to overhear, and feeling that shiver crawl through her body had awakened some...more bestial urges in him.

He didn't like getting like that; made him a savage. Reminded him of their Underground where all of his best friends turned against each other. There still wasn't even word on where Alphys and Mettaton were at! And he had been hoping to see more of the robot's stuff soon, too.

You were just finishing up the cigarette, the taste of iron on your lips when Crooks came out to get you. “I AM ALL READY TO MAKE THOSE COOKIES!”

You turned to grin at him, stubbing out the cigarette on the ashtray that Axe kept outside. “Okay, Paps. I'll be in, just give me two more seconds.”

He watched you as you turned to lean in real close to Axe, who was now watching you with a wide, wary eyelight. You reached around to give him a hug, pulling yourself flush against him and grinning up at him. His entire face had erupted into a blue hue as you drew closer. It was almost the same color as Sans's magic, but a little darker, like a navy blue. It suited him and his dark personality. 

What he didn't realize is that you had grabbed his hood. You pulled back a moment later, bringing his hood with you. Laughing as he sputtered out attempts at words, you turned on your heel and flounced away, heading inside after a chuckling Crooks. You turned back with your grin as Axe finally pulled the hood from his head, careful of his head injury.

“How's _that_ for being a 'short shit'?” you snarked, ducking inside.

Axe only chuckled, stubbing out his smoke and following you. You surely were going to be a fun one.

–

“WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD MAKE COOKIE DOUGH FROM SCRATCH! OR THAT YOU COULD MAKE SOME WITHOUT EG – _SANS_! BRING THAT BOWL BACK THIS INSTANT!”

You laughed as you watched Axe curse under his breath before moving out the door. You wouldn't call it running, but you wouldn't call it walking or jogging either. Maybe a trot? You didn't care, watching as Crooks and Axe dodged each other while the taller of the two tried to get the bowl back from his older brother.

Finally, their abnormal size came into play. While they were still facing off, Crooks feinted left. Axe didn't catch it on time this time and as he went that right, so did his brother. Axe was still no match for Crooks's long arms. He managed to snatch the bowl of cookie dough from his brother, holding it close to himself as he made his way back over to you.

They really were quite a bit bigger than the boys. While Sans was only an inch or two taller than you, Axe was at least almost a foot bigger than you were. Crooks had to be somewhere in the eight foot range; his height rivaled that of Edge and Stretch. Though with Stretch and Mutt, it was hard to determine with them always slouching.

Axe came back in, huffing, sitting on the table as Crooks placed the bowl of cookie dough on the counter. You chuckled and dug through their drawers, humming to yourself. When you found the ice cream scoop, you smiled, moving the little lever to make sure it worked. Perfect.

Crooks was watching you with a confused look. “HUMAN, WE DO NOT HAVE ICE CREAM!”

You smiled. “Watch this.”

You scooped out a decent sized ball of dough before putting it over the wax paper. Moving the little lever, you watched as it plopped on the paper in a perfect circle. As it settled you glanced at Crooks, who looked like he had seen someone win the lottery.

“WOWIE. THAT'S SO AMAZING!” he enthused. “CAN I TRY?”

“Of course, Paps,” you said, laughing and handing him the scoop.

He did the entire thing with joy on his skull. You watched him with a smile, hopping up on the table next to Axe. He didn't move to lean away from you, instead seeming to move closer to you. Your heart picked up speed as you tried your best to make sure Crooks didn't mess anything up on accident.

“your heart reminds me of the wings of a hummingbird,” Axe muttered. You jumped, his voice right beside your ear. “moving so fast. e _nticing_.”

You swallowed a little thickly, your hands gripping the side of the table. He chuckled and moved away, seeming to be pleased with your response. You probably should have felt fear, considering their diet in their universe, but you couldn't help feel maybe a tad bit of excitement?

Well, alright then.

When Crooks was done, you hopped off the counter to make sure everything was done. You moved a couple around to space them out, before popping them in the oven. You tutted at Crooks, who was moving to do the dishes again. You shook your head, moving him toward the kitchen entryway with Axe right behind you.

“Both of you go. I'm gonna do the dishes and clean up in here.”

“BUT YOU'RE OUR GUEST!”

“A guest who also helped create this floury mess,” you quipped back at him. “Go. I'll be done in a little while. I'll let you know when the cookies are done.”

Both boys left, giving you weird looks as you went back into the kitchen. Turning on the sink, you hummed to yourself again, tapping your foot to the beat in your head. It was a slower, song, but it had once been your favorite to sing on the lonely nights.

So instead of humming, you sang it instead.

“ _Stay with me, baby stay with me,_  
_Tonight don't leave me alone._  
_Walk with me, come and walk with me,_  
_To the edge of all we've ever known._

“ _I can see you there with the city lights_  
_Fourteenth floor, pale blue eyes._  
_I can breathe you in._  
_Two shadows standing by the bedroom door,_  
_No, I could not want you more than I did right then,_  
_As our heads leaned in._

“ _Well, I'm not sure what this is gonna be,_  
_But with my eyes closed all I see_  
_Is the skyline, through the window,_  
_The moon above you and the streets below._  
_Hold my breath as you're moving in,_  
_Taste your lips and feel your skin._  
_When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly._

_“Stay with me, baby stay with me,_  
_Tonight don't leave me alone._  
_She shows me everything she used to know,_  
_Picture frames and country roads,_  
_When the days were long and the world was small._

_“She stood by as it fell apart,_  
_Separate rooms and broken hearts,_  
_But I won't be the one to let you go._

_“Oh, I'm not sure what this is gonna be,_  
_But with my eyes closed all I see_  
_Is the skyline, through the window,_  
_The moon above you and the streets below._

You moved on to wiping down the counter. You filled up the sink with the tiniest dollop of soap, grabbing a different sponge and watching the steam rise from the water. You smiled as you worked, keeping your foot tapping to the slow like beat. You could hear the song in your head as you worked to clean the floury mess.

What you didn't notice was that the boys had stopped talking in the other room about who was going to check traps that day. They had instead turned their attention to you, watching as you moved around in their tiny kitchen and sang to yourself.

You were covered in flour, and there was even some in your hair, and you had some egg on your shirt. There was a hand print on the back of your thigh and there was a stray chocolate chip tangled in your ponytail.

Both boys looked at each other before back to you as you continued to sing.

_“Hold my breath as you're moving in,_  
_Taste your lips and feel your skin._  
_When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly._

_“Don't run away_  
_And it's hard to love again,_  
_When the only way it's been,_  
_When the only love you know,_  
_Just walked away_  
_If it's something that you want,_  
_Darling you don't have to run,_  
_You don't have to go_

_“Just stay with me, baby stay with me_

_“Well, I'm not sure what this is gonna be,_  
_But with my eyes closed all I see_  
_Is the skyline, through the window,_  
_The moon above you and the streets below._  
_Hold my breath as you're moving in,_  
_Taste your lips and feel your skin._  
_When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly._

_“Oh, I'm not sure what this is gonna go,_  
_But in this moment all I know_  
_Is the skyline, through the window,_  
_The moon above you and the streets below._  
_Hold my breath as you're moving in,_  
_Taste your lips and feel your skin._  
_When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly.”_

“WOWIE.”

“wow.”

You yelped, turning from your spot while draining the water and soap from the sink. Both boys were watching you. Axe had his head tilted off to the side a little and you watched as Crooks seemed to bounce in place, gloved hands covering his teeth. You thought if he could, he would have the same stars in his sockets Blueberry had.

“I...uh...”

“YOU SOUND SO AMAZING, Y/N!” Crooks finally exploded, coming into the kitchen and hugging you tightly. “YOU SOUND SO BEAUTIFUL! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD SING!”

You chuckled a little as he dropped you. You spoke as you checked the cookies, turning on the oven light to make sure they weren't burning.

“Yeah, I do. Not often anymore, but I do. I go dancing with Serif and Tango every week, too. Plus, Morgan's been having me come around more often to help him when he needs it.”

“who's morgan?”

You glanced at Axe from the corner of your eye, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips. “He's my buddy; used to fuck with my ex roommate for a while before she kicked me out.”

“LANGUAGE!”

You straightened, frowning down at your shirt and pants. “Crap, I look like I went through a tornado of flour.”

“i have somethin' that might fit ya,” Axe said lazily. “paps, can ya watch the cookies while i help her?”

“OF COURSE, SANS!”

You followed Axe from the room, looking around the little house. There was a bathroom and two rooms there, and Axe entered one room. The other door was closed so you followed him into the room and blinked.

It was a mess, and the cleaning freak inside you was itching to tidy everything up. His sheets on his bed were coming off and the duvet was partially on the ground. There were clothes everywhere and his dresser drawers were all opened, clothes spilling from them.

Was that a tornado made of trash in the corner?

You looked at Axe as he chuckled, shrugging his broad shoulders. “sorry 'bout the mess. no one really every comes around.”

You shrugged, coming further into the room. You sat on his bed and looked around. It was sparse, like the only thing he did was sleep in here. The smell of iron and cedar filled your senses and you looked over as Axe grumbled to himself, pulling something off of one of the hangers in his disastrous closet.

He came out but paused as he watched you. You tilted your head at him as he seemed to tremble, the clothes in his hands scrunching further as his fist clenched. You cleared your throat, which brought him out of whatever trance he had been in.

“these should fit ya,” he said gruffly, shoving the clothes in your hands and making a leave of the room.

The door shut behind him and you blinked for a minute at the way he'd been acting. Did you make him mad when you sat on his bed? It was such a normal thing for you to do. Plus, there were clothes in his chair over by his desk in the corner. You shrugged it off, instead standing and changing into the clothes given to you.

It was an old pair of basketball shorts and a tank top. You had to put your hoodie on over it, though, since your bra was on full display. Honestly? You looked like a kid trying to play dress up with the clothes of their parent. You chuckled as you tied the drawstrings of the shorts and slipped back into your shoes.

When you made your way back out into the kitchen, Axe coughed into his hand, sounding like he was about to say something. He quickly made his way from the room, heading out the front of the house. You glanced at Crooks, who looked...smug? You smiled and came over to see how the cookies were coming along.

“THEY'RE JUST ABOUT DONE!” he said excitedly. “ALTHOUGH...”

Curious at his sheepish tone, you looked at the bowl that had the edible cookie dough, slapping a hand over your mouth to stifle your giggles. The entire thing had been licked clean by either him or his brother, but you had a feeling it was both.

“I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO SAVE SOME FOR THE OTHERS, BUT I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. SANS GOADED ME!” he quickly explained.

You shook your head. “It's okay, buddy. In reality, you shouldn't eat the stuff that has the eggs in it, but I do anyway.” You shrugged. “That's why there weren't as many cookies on the tray. I may have ate some myself.”

“Y/N! THAT'S DANGEROUS!”

Before you could answer, you felt your phone buzzing in the pocket of the shorts. You pulled it out and frowned when you noticed that not only did every skeleton in the house text you, you had numerous missed calls. Mostly from Sans.

You sighed and instead of reading the texts, you called him anyway.

“y/n! jeez, took you long enough.” He sounded winded.

“Sorry, I kept my phone in the pocket of my hoodie and I don't generally feel when it's vibrating in there,” you sighed. “What's going on? Why are you all texting and calling me?”

“THAT INSOLENT HUMAN GIRL WILL SURELY ENJOY A TASTE OF THIS!”

“boss, no!”

“EDGE, WAIT! I'M SURE WE CAN COMPROMISE WITH THIS HUMAN GIRL!”

“BLUEBERRY IS RIGHT, EDGE! DON'T – STOP TRYING TO THROW THE BONES IN THE HOUSE!”

“Sans?” Your voice was frantic as you heard them shouting now. “Sans, what's going on? Why is Edge this pissed off? Last I knew, _I_ was the insolent girl he usually hates.”

“not you,” Sans said. He sounded like he was straining. “your old friend came by to talk to you about something, and when we said you were with our cousins, she may have...said some things.”

You narrowed your eyes, your grip on the phone tightening. “Is she still there?”

“yeah, but – ”

“I'll be home in ten minutes,” you ground out, hanging up before he could say anything.

You were seething as you went back to Axe's room and gathered your clothes. Crooks followed you even as you stomped out into the cold. Axe jumped, his eyelight shrinking before he realized it was just you and his brother. But one look at your posture and he realized you were on a warpath.

“y/n? what's wrong?”

“I have some business to take care of at home,” you snarled lowly. “I'll see you guys later, yeah?”

“hey, paps. can ya watch the cookies? they're almost done. don't want them to burn.”

“OF COURSE! PLEASE BE CAREFUL!”

With that, he went back inside and Axe snagged your arm before you got any further. You went to snap at him before he shook his head. Your eyes were drawn to the hole in his skull for a minute before you took in a deep breath.

“What?”

“we're gonna take a shortcut, yeah?”

“Shortcut? How?”

“just close your eyes and hold on tight, sparrow.”

You did as he said, clutching your clothes between the two of you as you curled both fists into his shirt. Your eyes squeezed shut and the world around you shifted, almost like you were floating aimlessly through emptiness.

When the feeling ended, you heard him gasp. He ripped himself from you as he bent down, and took in huge breaths of air.

“axe?”

You looked over to see Stretch and Red, both looking frantic and shocked. You threw your clothes down, pointing to him.

“Help him! I'm going out front!”

When you did, all hell had broken loose. There were bones that littered the front yard. The garden Blueberry tended to in the front yard was ripped up and thrown about. One of the chairs on the front porch had been tossed and now rested in the trees.

Edge was being held back by Mutt and Blueberry, who were both struggling with the skeleton as he tried to go after his target. Magic flared from his left eye, blood orange leaking from the side of his socket. Sans, Serif, Tango and Blackberry were standing in front of a familiar figure, who was shouting and raging at them as she hurled slurs at all of them. Papyrus was running up to you, holding his arms out to you.

“Papy, what the fuck is going on?” you hissed.

“There you are!”

As Papyrus swept you up in a hug, you heard Daisy's voice snarl at you. You stiffened, but held on to Papyrus as he carried you from the front porch and down toward his brother and the others. You watched as Edge slowly came back from his rage, his magic fading from his socket. You nodded to them all, and Blue and Mutt let the skeleton go.

Papyrus placed you between Black and Sans, both of who glanced at you, looking you over before turning a cruel eyelight back to their uninvited guest.

“Can I help you?”

“Talked to your mom today,” Daisy said, her eyes flashing at you. “Came to ask you about the deed since you own the house. She said I could have it and once I do, she'll transfer it in my name."

Little bitch.

You felt your lips twist in a sneer, crossing your arms and popping one hip out. You felt numerous presences behind you, but kept your eyes on Daisy. She looked around you uneasily, and watched as she shifted uncomfortably. She was in unfamiliar territory, one she wasn't even completely comfortable with.

“That's right, I do have that stashed away somewhere, don't I?” you mused quietly.

“DON'T TELL ME YOU PLAN ON GIVING IT TO THIS INSOLENT WENCH?” Edge ground out behind you.

“quiet, edgelord.”

Stretch sounded off behind you, and you turned to see that he, Axe and Red had joined you. All of the others had converged behind you as well. You gave them all smiles, but you locked eyes with Edge, giving an evil grin of your own.

“Give her what? That house?” You scoffed. “Stars, no. I plan on keeping it to probably rent to Morgan.”

“What!”

The screech behind you made all the skeletons around you wince. You felt bad for them, but turned to face her. She was red in the face and her feet were planted far apart. She had her hands clenched at her side and seemed to only get angrier when Edge actually laughed.

You made a mental note to make him laugh more.

You uncrossed your arms as you said, “You heard me. I want you out of that house.”

“But your mom –”

“I don't care what my mother said,” you snapped. “She may have paid for it, but it was my dad's money. So, in turn, it was my dad who bought the house for me. And I'm going to rent it to Morgan because at least he isn't a petty little brat.”

You heard chuckles coming from around you. The skeletons seemed amused by this, and you watched as Daisy shook in her rage. You looked at Blackberry, who had moved forward a little and kept part of him in front of you, like he was protecting you.

How sweet.

“Why not move back your fucking self then?” she snarled. “You're nothing but a whore living with a bunch of monsters. You're the lowest scum of the earth, fucking them. Is that how you got the room so fast? Because they're throwing you a _bone_ , you miserable cunt?”

Her voice was venomous. And you didn't realize that you had moved forward to hit her until you felt not only Blackberry's hand on your arm, but Edge was pulling you back. The others seemed to move forward. Their faces were stern, set in stone as they watched your ex roommate squirm where she stood. Knowing she seriously just _fucked up_.

“now, i love a good pun,” Sans said.

“but that's so far from the truth, it's laughable,” Stretch completed.

“why th' fuck would sh' even need t' do that?” Red snapped.

“pretty sure they've been more hospitable than you,” Axe commented lazily.

“heard they've been nicer, too,” Mutt said in a theatrical whisper to Axe, who chuckled.

“you're just wasting time,” Serif muttered.

“I BELIEVE YOUR BUSINESS WITH HER IS DONE,” Blackberry said, keeping his grip on your arm.

“I MUST SAY I AGREE WITH HIM,” Edge said, his grip tightening on your shoulder.

“I MUST SAY I DON'T APPRECIATE THE NAME CALLING OF MY DEAR HUMAN FRIEND!” Papyrus said, his voice hardened. It even made you wince.

“I AGREE; THE NAME CALLING WAS NOT NECESSARY!” Blueberry chimed in.

“YOU'VE OVERSTAYED YOUR WELCOME HERE,” Tango finalized.

Daisy looked around them and found your gaze. You straightened your back, determined now to get the point across. There was no way in hell you were giving up that house, nor were you ever going to give it someone like her. Your mother may have paid it, but all this money was your dad's. You weren't going to let a pair of bitches run him down. He'd had enough over the years.

“I meant what I said,” you finally said. “I'm keeping the deed, and I'm renting it to Morgan and maybe his friends. You need to be gone within the next few days.” You hummed as you leaned back against Edge, who wrapped a protective arm around your shoulders, his glove tickling your chin. “Also, leave the furniture. Again, my _dad_ bought that.”

By the time you were done, also surrounded by your favorite skeletons, her face has gone so red she resembled Red's shirt. You smiled at her, placing your hand on Edge's arm in a silent thanks as she stewed in front of you. You really thought she would blow a gasket this time, but she didn't. She pointed a finger at you.

“I'm talking to your mom about this.”

With that she stormed away.

When she was out of sight, no one moved for a minute. The adrenaline was finally leaving your system and you slouched, putting more weight against Edge. He didn't even budge, instead moving so you were leaning against him as the others surrounded you.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” Tango asked, his hands wringing together.

You looked at all of them, smiling a little before looking at Sans. “Why didn't you ever tell me you were so lazy, you could _teleport_?”

At his answering you groan, you let out a laugh, the others slowly relaxing around you. You went back with Axe after changing into a new pair of your own clothes. He told you to keep the ones he let you borrow, saying he never wore them anyway. You had a sneaking suspicion he did, but didn't argue as you went back to Crooks.

For the rest of your day, you enjoyed their company, binge watching silly movies and eating the cookies you had made. You stayed smushed between Crooks and Axe the entire time, and you had never felt more cared for than you did in that one moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Axe: *does the bad and thinks of the bad things and starts slipping back into his memories of his Underground*  
> MC: *calls his name a couple of times and gives him a happy smile*  
> Axe: fuck i love you.


	15. Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to the zoo and something happens.  
> The boys come to the rescue, but why is Mutt acting like that?  
> You even go to the gym and train with Edge **and** Blackberry.  
> We get some insight on Edge's, Mutt's and Blackberry's feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: MILD NON/CON IN THIS. It's only a couple of paragraphs, and nothing really major happens, but I know anything like that can trigger some people; it was really difficult for me to write to begin with.**
> 
> So with that, I hope you enjoy your chapter! <3
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> come follow me on tumblr? (:

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T GO WITH YOU?”

The day of your zoo trip finally arrived, and you had to be up at the ass crack of dawn. It had been a few days since the incident with Daisy, and your mother had taken to blowing up your phone the entire time. She had left voicemails and sent text messages, too, explaining her outrage that you had denied someone something.

But you deleted each voicemail, each text message. And you continued to ignore every call from her that came through. You had talked to your dad once or twice, and he told you that she was so upset she was actually considering come to you to demand it herself. You had told your dad it wasn't going to happen and the pride in his voice when he said he knew you wouldn't had you grinning ear to ear.

Now, you had the zoo. You didn't know why they needed to have it in such cold weather, but you decided you'd rather do this than study for finals in a few weeks. They were slowly creeping up on you, and you knew you needed to study, but it was always so crazy over here.

Tango and Serif had switched with Edge, so you had training today instead with him instead of dancing. Since you were heading to gym right after the trip, you stuffed your gym clothes in there with everything as well. You were going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow, but it was definitely worth it.

At least you hoped.

Blueberry was pouting on your bed as you packed everything up, making sure you had everything you needed before you picked up your bag, throwing it over your shoulder. You were still pissed that Sans had gotten this for you during the mall trip, but nothing to be done now You gave the sad skeleton a smile and a pat on the head as you walked past.

“Sorry, Blue. This is for school, not for fun,” you told him.

You both left your room and made your way down to the first floor, where Papyrus was already making you some food and a cup of coffee was waiting.

“Thanks, Papy,” you sighed. “I'm really sorry I woke you up.”

“IT'S QUITE ALRIGHT. ANOTHER HOUR OF ME BEING AWAKE JUST MEANS I CAN GO ON MY JOG SOONER!” he enthused.

You shook your head. You would never understand the joy he found in waking up so early, but you just weren't a morning person. Instead you grabbed the cup of coffee on the counter and took a small sip. Still hot, but oh, so good. Whoever invented it needed a big ass reward. You leaned against the counter, placing your bag on the surface beside you. Blue then began helping Papyrus make breakfast, his shoulders dropped.

“Maybe one day I can take you to the zoo, yeah?” you told the smaller skeleton, giving his back a smile.

He whirled around, stars in his sockets. “REALLY?! I WOULD LOVE THAT.”

“Of course,” you chuckled. “We'll go during the spring, though. I can't handle going there in cold more than once.”

With that, you finished off the coffee, putting the mug gently in the sink before telling the boys goodbye and heading off out the door. None of the others were up yet, except for maybe Sans. And that would be because he was up all night working on that stupid machine. You still didn't understand it, but if it would send the others back to their homes, you guessed it was okay.

So why did the thought of them leaving make you so sad?

Maybe it was because you were actually forming friendships with all of them. You spent time playing games with Red. You danced with Serif and Tango and you always had your bar time with Sans. You and Papyrus were still gardening, but you often helped him cook when he came to a dish he wanted to try, but didn't know very well. Edge, while tsundere as fuck, seemed to enjoy your training sessions. With Stretch, you had begun practicing songs with him, watching him write lyrics down, or being on the phone with Morgan while you two figured out the next you would play with him and the others.

You idly thought, in the back of your mind, that you should probably start hanging out with the others, too. Maybe you could convince Blackberry that you weren't a pet? Well, you figured that wouldn't happen, and Mutt had been following you around still, so you didn't think that would change any time soon.

Cooking and baking with Crooks had been a lot fun, and you opted to try that again some time. Just maybe with not so much flour it sticks to your hair. It had definitely been a fun experience telling the others why you had been wearing Axe's clothes in the first place. If you hadn't shown them the floured clothing you had gone in, they would never have believed you.

You sighed as you made your way to campus. You would also really like to learn about the human versions of them, too. You would have to talk to Sans about fixing that calendar, since you had more than one of them wanting to hang out, and more than the household demanding your attention.

When you got to the campus, you jogged the rest of the way to your building, watching as the students began filing on the bus. The substitute teacher was a big man, with oily hair and smudged glasses. He looked like he was having problems breathing as he goaded the students onto the bus. You paused in your jogging, suddenly becoming hesitant.

Something didn't seem right with the guy, and your soul felt like it was growing cold the longer you looked at him. You shook it off, instead heading up further and loading onto the bus behind one of the others. However, you didn't miss the leer he sent your way and your grip tightened on the strap of your bag.

It was only for a few hours, you thought to yourself as you sat in the back. A few hours, then you could go home.

After everyone had loaded onto the comfy bus, you pulled out your headphones and phone, turning through your music and playing a song. You watched as the substitute came on the bus and said something, but you didn't want to hear his voice. If his presence alone was enough to make you shiver in disgust, you couldn't imagine what hearing his voice would do.

The ride was uneventful as it made it's way a few cities over. You watched as buildings replaced trees and sidewalks replaced the dying grass. You enjoyed looking out windows on long rides and you enjoyed taking in the scenery. It was pleasant, and you smiled to yourself.

You really were excited to bring Blueberry one of these days. To see him so excited to see all the animals and stuff had brought stars to his sockets, and you would enjoy seeing it for an entire afternoon come spring time.

When you made it to the zoo, you followed everyone out quickly, making sure to avoid the teacher. When his fat fingers brushed against your leg, a feeling of antipathy traveled up your spine and made you feel sick to your stomach. You quickly got off the bus, shivering. But you weren't sure it was from the cold this time.

From the murmurs of the other girls around you, you knew they had experienced the same thing.

You stuck close to one of the guys, Gareth, who looked down at you with a worried, furrowed brow.

“You okay, Y/n?” he asked quietly as the teacher struggled off the bus.

“Yeah, I'm alright, just...”

You didn't need to finish, he only nodded and wrapped a protective arm around your shoulder. You smiled a little as you scooted closer to him. You would probably stick with him the rest of the trip and actively avoid trying to be anywhere near this teacher.

It was a fairly large zoo, so it shouldn't be too hard.

When he gave the assignment, you wished you hadn't take your headphones out. His voice was like nails down a chalkboard to you, scraping against your eardrums. You rubbed your ear absently as Gareth led you through the gate, both flashing your student IDs before heading the rest of the way inside.

You could feel the teacher's eyes on your back and you made a quick left, bringing your companion with you. He easily went with you, even letting out a laugh as he followed along. You glanced a peek over your shoulder and watched as he watched you.

Your soul grew icy again.

You spent the next couple of hours with Gareth, pointing out the different things about the animals' habitat that seemed different than their natural homes or things that may have been the same. You both jotted things down, laughing like teenagers on a high school trip rather than college students trying to get their degrees.

“So, how's life been with you lately?” he asked, his hands in his pockets.

You shrugged. “So, so, I guess.”

“Heard you're staying with a couple of monsters.”

“This isn't false,” you said, your tone stiff as you eyed him from the side of your eyes.

He grinned. “Nah, it ain't like that, buttercup. Just makin' sure you're doin' okay, you know? Daisy was real hard on you after you left the house. Or, well, I guess after she kicked you out.”

You chuckled, your shoulders relaxing. “Yeah, true. It's been a roller coaster, though. They're a bunch of a skeletons. Cousins, in fact.”

He raised his brows. “Really? Not very often you see skeletons.”

“From what Sans told me not long after we met, he and his brother – and their cousins, obviously – are the only skeleton monsters,” you hummed.

“They ever talk about family or anything?”

You shook your head. “Tried, but Sans is kinda...tight toothed,” you chuckled.

You guys made your way over to the food area. One of the restaurants was a dine-in, so you both slid in there, puffing on your hands to keep them warm. You both made your way over to the counter, standing behind a couple of others who were ordering. You pointed out a few things you thought he might like before making your way up to the counter next.

You ordered, grabbing your drink cups and heading over to a chair to wait for your names to be called. While you talked over the notes each of you took, a flash of orange and cyan blue snagged your attention from the corner of your eye. You snapped your head up and looked around for a minute, your eyes darting everywhere.

But there wasn't a single skeleton in sight. You were just seeing things, having been surrounded by them for so long. You shook it off, assuring Gareth that you were alright before heading up to grab your meals.

But this went on the entire day. You thought you saw traces of black and red, heard Edge's voice even. You thought you saw Mutt carrying Blackberry on his arm, much like the picture you had seen taken of them. You could have sworn there was even Tango and Serif there, watching as a pair of flamingos danced around each other. Then when you thought you saw Sans and Papyrus, you groaned into your hands.

“They better not have,” you groaned into your hand.

“ Miss Y/n?”

Your soul was frozen in your chest and Gareth's grip tightened on your shoulders. The substitute teacher looked out of breath, and his sweat glistened on his forehead. There was a horrible sense of foreboding in your body, and you gripped the back of Gareth's shirt with an iron fist.

“What can I do for you?” you asked, gritting your teeth as you flashed him a smile.

You could see the answers whirling in his head and you used every ounce of will power you had not to vomit from him even thinking of those kinds of things. You could feel Gareth's grip tighten a little bit around your shoulders.

“I was wondering if I could speak to you privately? Your teacher has it written down that if I had any questions, I could come to you,” the teacher breathed out.

The shiver of unease crept down your spine. You gave a curt nod and held up a finger. You turned and brought Gareth down to kiss him on the cheek.

“If I'm not back around in three minutes, the boys are here. I've seen them. Call for Sans. Guarantee he'll answer.”

“I'm not leaving you alone with him. Are you fucking insane?”

“Please. I'm not going to have you hurt, too.”

He looked reluctant, his eyes shifting between the two of you until he gave his own curt nod, holding up three fingers before walking away backward, his glare on the teacher. I knew this was stupid, and I knew I could have turned him away or answered anything with Gareth there, but I didn't want to risk him getting hurt, too.

Instead, I left with the teacher, heading some place apparently more reclusive. If he caught shit for leaving me alone, I was going to set those boys in line. Something about him – other than being creepy as hell – set me on edge.

I finally stopped next to a pair of fake plants beside one of the animal areas. It had already been a couple of minutes, so I could only hope Gareth was able to call Sans around to him. All the boys knew my scent well enough to find me if it came down to that.

“What do you want?” I finally asked, my voice shaking as he turned to face me.

There was a flash of silver and I let out a tiny squeak as a knife pressed to my throat. The smell of onions and sauerkraut filled my senses, making me gag as the knife pressed deeper into my skin. I didn't make another noise as the guy chuckled.

“All you school girls are the same,” he bemoaned. “Wearing such revealing and tight outfits. Trying to catch the eye of whatever bastard will take you.” The knife moved, but it only went to the front of your jacket. “Should I just cut this all off before, or after?”

“W-what?” You were wearing yoga pants and boots, and you were wearing a sweater under your coat. What the hell was he going on about?

“I'm going to show you what happens to girls who wear the things you do,” he snarled, the knife piercing through my hoodie as he sliced it. “I have to teach you your goddamn place.”

“No!”

You tried grabbing his hand. He moved the last second, the blade of the knife cutting into your skin. You gasped, moving away and falling backward. But before you could regain your footing, he was already grabbing you by the ankles, dragging you back toward him in the shadows. You looked around, desperate to see if there was anyone nearby who would help.

But there was no one. You had wandered into an area that was dead, especially since it was the beginning of the winter months.

You let out a broken cry as his knee dug into your stomach, the food you had eaten threatening to resurface. You tried fighting him off, tried to stay determined even as the knife continued to cut into your hoodie and through your shirt.

The cold air nipped at your skin as you struggled, lashing your legs out and trying to buck him off of you. You could feel his nasty hands touching you, bruising you. Trepidation curled in your chest as you thought that you had made a grave mistake. You should have brought Gareth with you. You really should have–

The weight was lifted off of you and there was a cry of pain as the teacher was thrown away from you. You scrambled backward, watching as the indigo magic faded from around your struggling teacher. You backed up into a pair of legs and let out a little scream until a pair of bony arms came around you, lifting you into the air.

“now that's no way to treat a lady.”

Serif's voice brought a sudden relief. You sagged into the arms that held you, looking up to see Edge holding you bridal style, Red beside him with his hands in his pockets. You didn't see Sans anywhere, but maybe they had heard their names and had come running instead. Whatever the reason, you didn't care, curling into Edge's arms and hiding your face in his leather coat. The smell of cinnamon and pine surrounded you, and you didn't realize you were sobbing until you felt yourself being shifted.

“i agree, buddy,” Red's voice said, tense. “ain't no manners 'n takin' advantage o' a girl like that.”

“I was having a word with my student!” the teacher protested, his voice losing its anger.

“LOOKED TO ME LIKE YOU WERE CUTTING HER CLOTHES OFF,” Edge snapped. “RED, GIVE ME YOUR COAT. HERS IS TORN TO SHREDS.”

“sure thing, boss.”

You heard clothes rustling as Red obeyed his brother, before a heavy weight settled over you. The smell of mustard and vodka mixed with Edge's scent, and you could feel the shivering come to a halt as you glanced over your shoulder at the teacher.

“this is the only warning you're going to get,” Serif said. You heard him take a step forward. “you touch _anyone_ else, and you're going to have a **_r e a l l y_** bad time.”

You heard the teacher gulp as there was more rustling and there was the sounds of dialing. You heard the operator for nine one one and pressed your face further into Edge's coat. He smelled really good, and it was just comforting right now. You heard Red on the phone as well, probably talking to Sans, telling him they found you.

So they all must have come when summoned.

You had never been more grateful in your entire life.

You felt Edge moving, jostling you a little bit as he sat down. He moved you away a little and you whined in the back of your throat, your grip on his shirt tightening. He didn't comment, or sigh dramatically like you thought he would. Instead, he moved your hands, gently prying them off of you. With quick hands, he discarded what was left of your hoodie, setting the pieces off to the side and securing Red's hoodie tighter around you.

He stuck your arms in the sleeves and pulled the hood up over your ears, even go so far as to zip it for you. When that was done, he took you by the shoulders, red eyelights flashing as he regarded you and looked at your face.

“What Were You Thinking?” he snapped lowly. “Going Off On Your Own Like That? I Should Strangle You And That Boy For Your Actions!”

You shook your head, resting your bloody hand on his glove. He took notice, taking your wrist in a gentle, but firm grip as he brought it to his face. He inspected the cut, his skull twisting into what you could only assume was unforgiving anger. He enclosed your hand in his and after a couple of seconds, you watched as they became encased in a green, warm glow.

When he pulled away, the glow faded and the cut on your hand had disappeared. You felt weak in the knees and would have collapsed had Edge not gathered you to him a moment later.

“mutt, stop! heel, you asshole!”

Your head snapped up and over right as Edge stood up from his seat. You both watched as Mutt charged toward the teacher, who was still sniveling on the ground. Serif collided with him just before he could reach the teacher, and Red went to join in holding him back. But your eyes were riveted to Mutt.

He was enraged, his magic pouring from his left eye socket, just like Papyrus's would. It was like liquid amber was spilling from his socket as he snarled and gnashed his fangs. It reminded you a lot of like when Red had tried to attack Daisy, only this time, you weren't sure you would be able to calm him like you had the shorter skeleton.

Blackberry casually wandered forward, hands behind his back and those boots of his clicking on the pavement under his steps. He looked easy, unhurried as he came to a stop beside Mutt. His baby blue eyelights flicked to you for a moment before turning back to the human in front of him.

“MUTT, HEEL.”

But he didn't stop, his snarling only growing louder. You managed to wrest yourself away from Edge, who reached out for you as you ran toward Mutt. The only thing in your mind was that you didn't want him to do anything he would regret.

You didn't think he would, but he wasn't even listening as Blackberry repeated himself three more times, each more time louder than the one before. No one noticed you until you had slipped past Blackberry to stand in front of the snarling, terrifying skeleton in front of you.

“kitten, now 's _really_ not th' time,” Red grunted, his hold almost slipping. “ya can't reason wit' 'im like this. not even th' tyrant c'n get t' 'im.”

“I SAID HEEL, MUTT!”

Mutt continued, but you stepped forward, close enough to brush your fingers along his jaw. You didn't say anything, but you watched as that burning amber eyelight looked down at you. You gave him a smile; at least you had his attention now. You reached up with both hands, having to stand on your tip toes to reach him as you encompassed his cheeks in your hands, the bone warm to the touch.

His bones were on fire, and your first instinct was to pull away. You didn't though, as you tilted your head, moving his skull one way, then another. He resisted for a moment, snapping at one of your hands. You pulled back in time, narrowly avoiding his sharp teeth.

“Papyrus,” you whispered. “ _Heel_.”

Like flicking a switch, his magic sputtered out. Serif and Red slowly let go of him, watching the skeleton as he went back into his slouched position. You watched as Blackberry watched you with widened eye sockets, those baby blue eyelights flicking between you and his brother.

Without warning, Mutt gathered you to him, lifting you into his arms and smothering you within his duster jacket he wore. You reached out to put the hood back on his head, smoothing your hand over the bone before giving him a watery smile. Everyone was stunned speechless, especially Blackberry, as they watched one of the most volatile skeletons come undone under your touch.

Blackberry knew then and there, he had found his Queen.

Not even _he_ , the Malevolent Sans, had been able to get his brother to heel! How you, a simple human, had been able to calm his brother in one of his most bestial moments was beyond him. But it had been done with a simple gentle touch and soft spoken words.

He wanted you now more than he did before.

Mutt nestled you in his duster, and the warmth from him and Red's hoodie was practically suffocating. You could smell the faintest hint of barbecue sauce and hickory. You didn't complain though, even as you watched Edge come closer to you, shaking his head. You held out your hand and he took it.

“Thank you for coming,” you whispered, your voice cracking. “I'm sorry.”

“Just...Do Not Make Anymore Stupid Decisions Like That Ever Again,” Edge muttered “Now, I Believe That Is The Police On Their Way Over.”

It was a long hour after that. Gareth had joined you, only to be reamed out by Edge for letting you go off on your own with “THAT VILE FILTH”. You hand grasped his hand though, anchoring him to you while you spoke to the police about what had happened. Mutt never once let you go from his hold, even when they had to take pictures of you.

They took the remnants of your hoodie as evidence, and took some DNA from under your nails in case you might have scratched him in your struggle. They also took pictures of the forming bruises on your sides and stomach.

After they were done and took statements from everyone, they asked if there was a roster for which they could gather the students and send them home on an early bus. You handed it over to them with no problems.

“I'll be heading home with them,” you told them, your hand twitching in Edge's. “I have practice with him today, anyway.”

“YOU STILL WISH YOU TRAIN?”

You looked up at Edge, who looked absolutely astonished. You nodded, or tried to as Mutt growled low in his throat. You guessed he wasn't totally out of his “attack” mode, but you shushed him quietly before answering Edge.

“Of course,” you said as the police walked away with the roster. “I...I need to know how to defend myself if something like that ever happens again. I was just lucky you guys decided to stalk me here, huh?”

At least a couple of them had the audacity to look abashed. A few of them only shrugged and Red grinned while he chuckled. You didn't mind it, though. Though you were definitely going to be giving them an earful later.

You tried giving Gareth a hug goodbye, but Mutt refused to release you, even trying to tug you away from Edge. He hadn't said anything, but Blackberry knew what he had been trying to convey. He had apologized on his brother's behalf, so you told your fellow human you would see him in class in two days. He had nodded before jogging of when the police called his name over the intercom system.

All the skeletons began making their way to the front of the zoo, passing by the animals and workers. They all looked distressed, even when you tried telling them you would be okay. It was just going to take time before you would come around and really let what happened settle into the back of your mind.

Your mom couldn't hear about this. Stars knows what would happen if she did. She had no problem asserting herself into your life before. But if she found out about this? She would instantly come after the boys, and you weren't going to sit down and take that from her.

Mutt finally set you down by Edge's car. Red opened the door for you as Stretch passed you your bag,, running a hand over your face while he looked over it. You gave him a smile. He nodded and headed to Blue's motorcycle. Blackberry came over, grabbing you by the chin gently as he turned your face this way and that.

“I THINK MUTT AND I WILL JOIN YOU TODAY,” he told Edge, letting you go. You actually kind of missed the warmth that came with his touch. “I ALSO DON'T THINK MY BROTHER WILL BE ABLE TO LET HER OUT OF HIS SIGHT FOR A LITTLE WHILE MORE.”

“that's up t' kitten,” Red said, shrugging. “whaddaya say, boss?”

“I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH MY STUPID BROTHER ON THIS,” Edge grumbled in annoyance, opening his door.

“I don't mind,” you said quietly, shrugging. “Do you know where we go?”

“I DO,” Blackberry said proudly. “I SOMETIMES SPAR WITH EDGE MYSELF.”

You perked up a little at that. Now that's something you wanted to see. With a last lingering look, Blackberry let his gloved hand graze over your cheek before he clicked away, whistling to signal for Mutt. His brother went with him, even if it was reluctantly. You waved and got into the car. You watched as Red stared at them for a minute before getting in the front seat.

You laid down, using your book bag as a pillow and snuggling further into the warmth of Red's hoodie. You sighed into the fur of the hood, closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep as the last of the adrenaline wore off.

When you got to the gym, you had already woken up and had scrubbed the sleep from your eyes. Red had begun punning at you the second you were aware of your surroundings. You grunted as you took off his jacket, handing it back to him. He took it, albeit slowly. You gave him a smile as you all made your way out of the car and watched as Blackberry pulled into the parking spot beside you, Mutt casually slouching behind him.

After one final rev, the boys got off the bike and Mutt made his way over to you. He tugged on your hand, and you glanced at him questioningly.

“HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU IN PRIVATE,” Blackberry said, crossing his arms. “WE WILL MEET YOU INSIDE. MUTT, BEHAVE!”

“yes, m'lord.”

It was the first time you'd heard him speak since his little outburst. You felt yourself relax a bit as he waited for the others to head inside before turning back to you. He pulled out a dog treat, snapping his fingers with it as purple and amber magic sparked from his fingertips, lighting it up before blowing out a long stream of purple smoke.

“heh. i'd offer you one, but you wouldn't want it,” he muttered, taking in another deep drag.

You shrugged and absently took his hand in yours. “I...are you alright?”

He looked at you with widened sockets before barking out a laugh, shaking his head. “you really are a brat. after everything that happened, _i_ should be asking _you_ that.”

You chuckled lowly. “Yeah, yeah, I guess. But...um...” You trailed off, not sure what you wanted to say to begin with.

“i'm sorry ya had t' see that,” he said quietly. When you looked at him he was gazing off in the distance. “i really...i don't know what came over me; haven't acted like that since sans an' i got 'ere. i'm sure if you didn't want me t' come 'round anymore, i would understand.”

You stared at him blankly for a second before you reached up much like you had at the zoo. But instead of cupping his face, you gave three gentle slaps on each side of his face at the same time. He looked taken aback. His dog treat almost falling from his phalanges as he stared at you. You held his face so he couldn't turn away from you.

“I'm not scared of you.” you proclaimed. “I don't know why you acted like that, even when it was all taken care of, but...you still came to rescue me.” Your voice softened, and he watched as you leaned into him a little. “You came to help me. And for that, I'm thankful.”

He couldn't believe his metaphorical ears. This little brat was thanking him? After going into what was probably his worst animalistic state of mind come to date? Even in his Underground, when he had hunted, he hadn't been that bad. But hearing how you had almost...what had happened, he had lost himself somewhere on his way to see you.

He can't recall much. He had barely heard his brother's voice in his rage, in his urge to **_r i p apart what had hurt y o u_**. He hadn't felt Serif or Red, or had even acknowledged what anyone was saying. He had almost bitten you just to get to that vile cretin who had _dared_ to touch what was _theirs_.

But you hadn't been scared then. You had held on to his face, your soft, little hands framing his jaw. Your thumb had brushed against his golden tooth for a brief second before you had promptly tugged a little. Then you had spoken his name...his _actual_ name. Not what his brother called him. His true name.

It was then the noises that invaded his skull had dulled, and he had slowly come back to reality. This little human, his brat, had come to calm him. It was the dumbest decision you had probably ever made, but you still stuck by it, even if you didn't know what was going on.

And he wanted you all the more for it.

Instead of voicing anything he was thinking, he chuckled, moving your hands off of his face, but keeping one hand in his. Once he was done with his dog treat and fully mellowed out, he led you inside the building, heading to where you could see Blackberry and Edge already having a go around while they were waiting for you.

You were transfixed as you watched the two of them move. You'd seen Edge fight before; after all, he's the one who trains you. The way he deflected the bones flying in his direction, or the way he fluidly summoned his own. Watching him actually fight someone who knows what they're doing is _far_ different than when he's working with someone.

Blackberry jumped off to the side as one of three bones about pierced through his armor, landing on his feet and his magic flowing from his right eye socket. Like his eyelights, it was a baby blue in color, and his bones were encased in it as well as he hurled a few of his own at Edge.

Edge swiftly managed to step to the side, instead heading over to rush him, his long legs eating up the distance between the two of them. You felt a little gasp leave you as Edge pulled the same trick you had on Blackberry when you met the little tyrant.

It had almost connected and with the momentum Edge was going, he wasn't stopping. Blackberry managed to dodge it just in time before lashing out with his own fist. Edge blocked him, cut him off and the two locked ulnas, glaring at each other.

You watched them struggle for a minute before Mutt cleared his throat. “m'lord.”

They stepped away from each other, both of them turning to face you. Black's sharp teeth were tilted in a cocky grin as he regarded you. Edge moved away, heading over to his things so he could grab a drink of water.

“MY PET! DID YOU ENJOY WATCHING YOUR MASTER OUTDO THIS WEAK INDIVIDUAL?” he asked, causing Edge to whirl and glare at him.

“DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, BLACK,” he snarled. “I WILL SHOW Y/N JUST HOW WEAK YOU CAN BE YOURSELF!” He turned to you, holding out his hand. “ARE YOU READY?”

“Lemme go change first,” you chuckled. “Can you hand me my bag, Red?”

“i c'n jus' come keep an eye out fer ya?” he purred, moving to toss you your bag.

You rolled your eyes, moving away and flipping him off when you turned to head to change. His chuckle reached your ears and it warmed you all over.

Once you had changed, you came back out and let out a yelp, instantly moving to roll to the side as a bone moved your way. You rolled onto one of your knees, keeping one hand on the ground in case you needed to stand up fast. Instead, you were met with two skeletons, not just Edge.

Black and Edge stood back to back. Edge's eye was leaking blood orange magic and Black's was once more leaking baby blue. Both of them had their arms crossing and smirks on their teeth. You felt the blood boil in your veins as they regarded your form.

Holy shit, that was hot.

Why were skeletons hot?

You didn't even think twice about it as you launched yourself from your position, rushing at them quickly. Edge knew what was coming, and Black followed him as they merely moved out of the way. But it didn't stop you as you blocked Black's fist, swinging around and bringing your foot up to try and catch Edge in the ribs.

He blocked you easily, coming around with his own swing to your stomach. You muttered a curse as you used Black as your leverage, pushing against his arm to get away from the strike. You barely dodged it in time.

This continued on for at least an hour, you noted. Both Red and Mutt occasionally stepped outside for a smoke, but otherwise their gazes were riveted to your form. There were a few times where Black or Edge would stop and correct your form, their hands moving your hips just so. Their femurs pressing against your thighs just like that.

You could feel your face flushing, but whether it was from them touching you or the workout you were undergoing, you weren't too sure. But whatever it was, it could stop any time.

You deflected kicks, threw punches, dodged bones. It was usually crazy with just Edge, but adding Black to the mix was definitely a challenge. But you were determined to prove to them that you could handle this.

That's why when Black pinned you beneath him, you hissed at him like a feral cat trapped in a corner as you struggled to get him off of you. For being nothing but bones, these skeletons sure could weigh a lot.

“SUBMIT!”

“Oh, fuck you!”

Black bent down as Edge retreated for a second. A baby blue tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, skimming across his shark teeth as his eyelight flashed at you.

“Gladly, Pet,” he purred into your ear. “When You're Ready, Of Course.”

You gasped and finally managed to shove him off of you. He chuckled, blocking the punch you sent his way. He held his arm up as you threw a kick, spinning on your feet. Your foot hit the ground and you didn't miss when Edge charged for your side. With a grunt, you did a back flip to get away, the toe of your shoe catching Edge's shoulder. As you landed on both feet, you snickered.

Of course the only hit you manage to land is by accident.

Both boys watched you, circling you in opposite directions. You couldn't keep your eyes on both of them, and you couldn't figure who would be the biggest threat right then. You shifted your eyes from side to side as they circled you.

Like this, you could really see how alike they were. You blocked more attacks, dodged more bones. You swiveled on the balls of your feet when Black tried grabbing for you again. You ducked out of the way of Edge trying to snag your hair. They fought the same, but you noticed Black had no problems fighting dirty. You filed this information away for later, just in case Black decided he was going to join in on Edge's days.

Maybe that would be a good idea. You would think about it later. Not when there's a tiny tyrant and his larger counterpart trying to bury you into the floor mats.

Neither of them let up for hours. By the five hour mark, you were huffing, your chest rising and falling unevenly. Your energy was waning, and you felt your stomach grumbling. It had been doing that a lot for the last two hours. Red and Mutt had tried to get the two to stop, but they refused to give up until you could hit them.

You knew you wouldn't, and you knew why they were both being like this. You didn't want to be reminded, but you could still see that horrible scene in your head. Your body still hurt where bruises had formed, but you didn't want them to see. You didn't want to them yourself.

You finally called time, falling against the mats as you struggled to regain your breath. You looked up and smiled at the two, who were nodding in approval at you. Red came over to you, kneeling down to where you lay on the mat.

“ya awright, kitten?” he asked.

“Just fine,” you said, smiling. “But...can I get some food? I'm starving, and I'm sure the others are wondering what's taking so long.”

“AGREED!” Edge said, huffing himself. He came over as Red hauled you up. “YOU HAVE WORK TOMORROW, DO YOU NOT?”

You groaned. “Don't remind me.”

–

Edge shut the door quietly behind him. You had finally passed out on the couch with the others, and he wanted to make sure you actually went to your own bed rather than his disgusting brother's. Or even Mutt's. The dirty mongrel already hogged you enough earlier.

Earlier...

His teeth were grinding together as he made his way back downstairs. That vile fucking cretin was lucky the cops were there to save his pathetic ass. If Edge had his way, the human would have been dead. Dust. He knew humans didn't dust when they died, but he could sure as hell summon a Blaster to do the job for him.

He had dared touch his...their bond mate. He had tried to...fuck, if Serif hadn't noticed her screams when he did.

They could have been too late. And while the mere sight of you pisses him off, he couldn't deny the feeling of anger that boiled in his bones. He had been... _scared_. He, the Great and Terrible Papyrus, fucking _scared_ that some _human_ was going to be hurt if they didn't find you.

But he knew better. He knew you were no mere human being. You were a bond mate, a potential mate in general. Your soul, while in your panicked state, had called out for help, had been begging for one of them to find you. Serif, Red and Edge had been the closest nearby at the time, and he thanked the fucking stars for that one.

He went into the kitchen, where the Creampuffs were working on cleaning up after dinner. The original Creampuff looked over at him.

“HOW IS SHE?”

“FINE,” Edge snapped, grabbing a rag and wiping off the counter. “SHE PASSED OUT WITH THE OTHERS, SO I CARRIED HER TO BED.”

The shorter Creampuff huffed, stacking the dishes on the counter beside him as he dried them. “I DO NOT SEE WHY YOU OF ALL OF US _INSISTED_ ON TAKING HER TO BED! YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE MISS Y/N!”

Edge ground his teeth together, doing his best to ignore the tiny little rodent. It wasn't like he didn't like you, you just really seemed to enjoy making him angry. Maybe it was his own fault, but he wasn't going to admit it. The Great and Terrible Edge would never do such a thing.

He wiped down the counters furiously, ignoring the looks coming from the others. He wouldn't say he disliked _all_ humans; in fact, he got along great with the human version of himself. Kind of with the human version of his brother. They were the closest he could come to feeling a normal sense from their own universe.

But, when Chief had even commented on how you looked, it made Edge just...stare. What did they find so appealing about you? You were nothing but squishy organs and flesh. You were weak, could barely put up a fight.

Well, that wasn't true. When you had first started training with him, he had been surprised by how much you already knew. Your techniques were horrendous, and the way you threw a punch had made him _laugh_. Of all the things, a punch surely should be the first thing you know how to do properly!

No...he didn't hate you. Red had mentioned the bond to him. He knew there was something there he could explore if he wanted to. And a part of him did. But something was holding him back. Maybe because you were still too weak. Today's events proved it.

He would make you stronger. He would make you fit to be by his side, and for all to fear and quiver with your name. You would be excellent under his tutelage.

He would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mutt: that vile fucking cretin did what? i'm going to tear him apart and use his bones as fucking chew toys and bury them all over the yards. killkillk _illkillkillkillkillki-_ &  
> MC: *uses his real name* heel, skeledoggo.  
> Mutt: _**her.**_


	16. Dreams And Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have a series of dreams.  
> You have yet another bombshell dropped on your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. This took me forfreakingever to write. The first portion of it, mostly. I even wrote them out on paper to make sure I had some kind of game plan in play for it.
> 
> Also. I ate a salad at 1:30 in the morning; I feel like my life is falling apart. TnT' There's been a shit storm this week, and this past weekend didn't help.
> 
> With that, I hope you enjoy your chapter! (:
> 
> https://tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Come follow me on Tumblr? (:

_The stars were so beautiful. You watched the blue hooded figure point upward, showing you the different constellations. You could feel yourself laughing, even though everything sounded so...muffled. You clung to the owner of the hoodie, relishing in the warmth of the skeleton. He sounded mirthful, his other arm tucked under you head. You traced his clavicle, his jaw, the areas around his teeth. His tone turned playful, his voice lowering a few octaves. You heard yourself answer, your own voice lowering into something more sultry, but as those white eyelights landed on you, you were whisked away into a void of black._

_You danced around in a kitchen, the beat of a song playing in the background thumping through your body. Your loud lover was excited you were cooking with him today. His voice carried over as you two made a chicken dish. There was laughter in your voice as you moved around him, grabbing an ingredient and moving away from grabbing hands. You danced away from him, tugging a little on the red scarf he always wore around his neck. You tried going back to your station when two red gloves wrapped around your waist, pulling you flush against him. You turned your head to look at him over your shoulder, smile on your lips. As he dipped his head down for a kiss, you were sucked back into inky blackness._

_The screen of the TV greeted you, split into two. The controller was heavy in your hands, your partner's voice loud and muffled in your ear. The thick accent, brought out from his ire, was harsh on your ear drums, but the grin never left your face as you shot him down once more. Your heart was hammering in your ears as he cursed viciously, grumbling to himself. Your cackling was muted, but you could feel the bounce of your chest, hear the mirth through the fog. You felt like you couldn't contain yourself as you were turned. The red collar and gold tooth gave way to who he was, and the kiss he gave you while he pushed you against the couch seared you straight to your toes. As his claws lifted your shirt, you could feel yourself falling._

_You gasped as the feeling of soft touches from warm phalanges skimmed along your quivering thighs. A skeletal hand skirted across your vision and the tip of his digit brushed against your bottom lip. Your lips parted, your tongue flicking out to touch the pad of his finger. Red eyelights met your gaze, and a shiver of anticipation crawled through your body, slithering up your spine. His sharp teeth lifted up on one side in a smirk. He spoke to you, something soft, crooning to you. You couldn't hear what was said. You replied to him, something throaty and sassy. His smirk widened as he grabbed your ankles and brought you down to him, looming over you. Before you could feel his kiss, you rolled._

_His usual innocence was replaced. You were blindfolded, hands tied above your head as a chill ran through the room. You let out a small whimper, your throat constricting around the noise made in the back of your throat; cold bone had trailed over your skin, stopping just above the apex of your thighs. You wriggled under the teasing hand, trying to move it closer to where you wanted it. There was a sharp slap to the inside of your thigh. You sucked in a breath and did your best to apologize, stuttering over your words, begging for forgiveness. Nothing was heard and as his fingers began trailing lower, your world faded behind the blindfold._

_Gentle hands held you and you were sat between a pair of femurs, a random movie playing in the living room. You could feel yourself laughing, but it was still muffled. There were hands holding your own, ivory white against your tanned skin. You could hear his honeyed voice washing over you, making you relax against the comfy orange hoodie. You bounced against his sternum as he chuckled. One of his hands left yours and came up to caress your cheek, gently coaxing you you look over at him. As he leaned down, you felt yourself being whisked away into the void once more._

_The sound of leather creaked and groaned against its wearer. The feeling of the collar around your throat tightened, a little bell jingling quietly as you swallowed the thick lump in your throat. It was pitch black in the room and you only saw flashes of baby blue on the outskirts of your vision. There was a taunting chuckle off to your left and you could feel the whimper in your throat. Your back pressed against something hard and you could hear the faint sound of leather smacking against bone. Right as an ivory hand shot out to grip your chin, you were falling backwards._

_When you came back, you were running. You were running through a dense forest in the middle of the night, the full moon your only guide. Your rubbed your scent on everything you could touch, the brush of leaves and fallen logs. There was no fear to be had in you, though; there was only exhilaration. Anticipation._ **_Need._ ** _You bit your lip as you ran, trying to rein in the slightly nervous giggles you could feel bubbling inside of you. The moon lit your way, even as a hooded duster with fur collided into your side. You let out a gasp, sighing into the touch of your lover as he growling against your throat. His amber eyelights flashed in the darkness and something glowed a deep royal purple, a tongue sweeping across his golden tooth. With a giggle, you slipped from his hold, his growl filling the night as you ran head first into oblivion._

_You ran into a pair of arms, your breathing labored as sweat beaded on your forehead. But your laughter was jovial, even if you yourself couldn't hear it very well through the strange, muffling fog. You kept in time with his step, swaying your hips to the beat, completely in the moment with him. His femur snuck between your legs as you swayed, his body pressing against you. His arms wrapped around your waist as he made sure you stayed where you were, gyrating against his pelvic bone. He rumbled something in your ear as you reached back to wrap and arm around his cervical vertebrae. You flicked the bill of his hat before he took your other hand, twirling you into blackness._

_Someone snagged your outstretched hand, bringing you into him on a spin. A ballgown swished and kissed around your ankles and you could feel, rather than hear, the heels you were wearing clicking against the tile. Your gaze was locked on the red ascot your partner wore as you twirled and waltzed together, moving around the floor like professionals. Your hand was in his, and his arm was twined tightly around your waist. Your other hand on his shoulder as he moved in time with you, a smile gracing your lips. Your heart raced as he twirled you in, just to twirl you back out again, your dress spinning as you went into the dark._

_Sharpened phalanges poked and prodded at your flesh, a single eyelight rolling over your form curiously. You should feel fear, apprehension at his appearance alone, but you couldn't bring yourself to fear him. You felt_ **_safe_ ** _even, tucked away in the privacy of his bedroom. He asked you something, his expression somber as you felt his hands creeping up, phalanges twitching as he reached up to grip your throat. And, even in such a compromising position, you felt your head shaking “no” as you even spoke. That single eyelight flared to life, shrinking before expanding in size. You felt yourself being thrown down, but instead of landing, you just continued to fall._

_When you landed, you were now seated beside another. Snuggled on the couch, the extra large skeleton had his arm wrapped around you. His free hand, encased in a tattered red glove, held onto yours, thumb stroking your knuckles. Two steaming mugs of hot chocolate sat in front of the two of you as you watched a cooking show on the TV. There was a blanket thrown over the both of you, and he had tucked a pillow under your head, against his ribs so you wouldn't scratch yourself. You both made passing comments on the show, and you felt yourself giggling at how exuberant he was. You looked up at him and puckered your lips, silently demanding a kiss. He leaned down, but like all the others, you were yanked away into blackness._

_Lazy days were always your favorite, and today was no exception. You ran your fingers through shock white hair, twirling the semi long locks around your fingers. His icy blue eyes were focused on the game he was playing. You made some kind of snarky comment, but you weren't sure what as he died in his game. You threw yourself over his lap in a dramatic act for attention, whining playfully how he was ignoring you. You felt him chuckle as his own fingers dug through your hair, massaging your scalp as you sighed and gave in to his touch. You ran a hand over his stubble as he leaned down and oblivion took your vision._

_The sun beat down on your back as you watched the waves crash against the shoreline. There was a weight lifting off of your lower back and ice blue eyes watched you, a small strand of his white hair falling into his eyes. He was murmuring something, his voice oddly quiet and soothing. You didn't mind, reaching out a hand to move the hair away from his face. Those almost white eyes just watched you, sparkling in the overhead sun. A red glove came up to stroke your cheek reverently, and you closed your eyes, being sucked back into the void._

_You were now sat on a lap, looking a hand of cards in his roughened hands. It was a winning hand, you were sure. You ran your fingers through his deep, ruby red hair, tips grazing along the black sides. You wore a lazy drunken smile and his grin was absolutely shit eating as he tossed his cards on the table. His hand grazed your ass and you could feel your chest bouncing in laughter as he leaned forward, lips grazing your throat. He reached out to grab his winnings as his hand moved. Just as the tips of his fingers grazed your center, you felt yourself falling back again._

_Desperation was thick in your throat. Pinned to the wall, your hands tugged on the white hair you were holding, red tips pointing in all directions. Teeth grazed your throat and lips skimmed your jaw. You could feel yourself melting into a puddle at his feet. His roughened voice snarled in your ear, his hips thrusting against you. He was still clothed, you were damn near in nothing but your bra and panties at this point. You moved a hand to tug on his shirt, your gasps and panting filling the room with his growls and grunts. His hands grabbed and squeezed your ass, and he said something, something demeaning as the world left you once more._

_Bright blue eyes, cyan in color, watched as you hummed a tune, and rubbed his gloved fingers against your knuckles. The blanket you both sat on was laden with food and drinks, and the smell of salt was heavy in the air. You could hear the ocean crashing against the beach, and you felt the strong wind blow your hair around your face. Your mouth curled up in a smile as you met his gentle, curious gaze as he hid half of his face behind a bright blue bandanna. His cheeks were flushed pink in embarrassment and you chuckled as he grumbled something. You looked toward the sky, shutting your eyes._

_You knew your face was flushed from the heat of the hot tub. But your stomach hurt from laughing. Orange eyes dancing with mirth as he continued joking with you, hitting you with horrible pun after horrible pun. Your hand was locked with his under the water. He was running the pad of his thumb over your knuckles, watching you with wonder in his eyes. You leaned against his side and buried your face in his chest. He was so warm, comforting. You could feel your heart racing as his fingers threaded through your hair. You sighed and closed your eyes again, reveling in the feel of his touch before you were taken away._

_The fireplace was going strong, the heat radiating into the room around you. The rug was soft, fluffy against your naked back. Phalanges stroked over your cheeks and hair. That odd teal eyelight watched, almost transfixed by the way the light of the fire reflected on your hair and in your eyes. You lazily smiled up at him, your fingers skimming along his face. You didn't get to see him often, and you were taking advantage of learning more about him. You giggled a little as he tugged on a strand of hair, letting it curl around a single digit. Your eyes shut as you lifted yourself up a little..._

_Fear. It should have been heavy in the air. It should have thickened and pooled like a drug into your person. But as your stared into the purple and red eyelights, that hand pinning you by your throat to a wall while growling at you, you couldn't feel it. Even as something flashed and cold metal pressed against you. The need you felt for him was on the forefront of your mind. The whine that you felt leave you, his name on your tongue, it was everything. His eyelights flashed at you, and his psychotic permagrin lifted in approval as you writhed against him. He slammed you into the wall as his body crashed into yours, willing everything to go black._

_The blue and yellow hoodie was snug around your shoulders, the white puffs on the ends of the strings perfect to play with while you listened. You listened to his story about being up in the stars, about wishing they could have come to earth, to the ground. You were mesmerized at his telling of his tale, his voice deep and smooth. You were sat on a patch of dying grass, your head lying in his lap as he waved a hand at the expansive sky above, pointing out the different stars and the shapes they made. You felt a smile on your mouth as the void closed in again._

_He was absolutely fascinated with the animals. You loved watching him get so excited about them, pointing out the ones he thought looked cool, like him, or the ones that looked funny. His starry scarf was billowing in the wind behind him, his gloved hand safely tucked in your own. He listened to every word you said when you went to an animal. What they ate, how they behaved, he wanted to know it all. His deep yellow blush always made your day as you made your way through the zoo once more, telling him more about his favorite animals. He asked something and before you could answer, you slipped away._

_You could feel yourself gasping, taking in as deep a breath as your lungs would allow. You were spread out on a bed, your ankles and wrists restrained and leaving you open, spread eagle, for his viewing. Purple eyelights in the shape of hearts watched you heatedly, his eye sockets lidded. His permagrin was hungry as he watched you, the fur on his vest rustling as he moved around you. His phalanges traced your skin lightly before he switched gears, roughly grabbing your chin. Excitement speared through you as you were forced to meet his gaze. You could feel yourself begging, tugging at the leather that held you down as everything faded._

_Your eyes opened, meeting a pair of pink heart shaped eyelights. Your breath came out on a groan, your chest rumbling from the noise. You still couldn't hear anything; everything was still muffled to your ears. Even as he loomed over you, whispered to you. His voice was soft, smooth, silky even, sending jolts rolling down your spine. You felt something close to your core, occasionally skimming over the top. You bucked against it, silently pleading, begging for more. You_ **_needed_ ** _more. His chuckle puffed against your ear. You tilted your head back as a hand smoothed over your throat gently, squeezing your eyes closed._

_The leather was cool against your cheek, even as the sun warmed down on you. Yellow eyelights stared at the cloud you pointed out, yellow smoke drifting upward and curling into the air. He said something that made you laugh, nudging his clothed rib cage with your free hand. The other was wrapped around his free one, the hold in his palm a strange feeling. But it was perfect, peaceful even. You laughter echoed around the clearing you were in as you stared into the sky, pointing out another cloud of interest. When he said something else you turned and leaned up a little, placing a small kiss against his mandible..._

_And then the beeping started..._

–

You awoke with a jolt, gasping as you scrambled to find your phone and shut off your alarm. After the initial panic and finally getting it to turn off, you blew out a breath and landed back on the pillows. You stared at the ceiling for a minute, one hundred percent confused as to what that dream was about.

And you didn't recognize a couple of them. You couldn't hear anything that had been said, but there one thing you noticed in all of them; the amount of _comfort_ you felt with each one. You sighed, deciding to sit up and get ready to start your day.

You paused when you felt a dampness between your legs and felt your entire face flush. Some of those scenarios had been...risque. You drew your bottom lip between your teeth and threw the covers off of you.

You take care of it in the shower. You needed to get ready for work.

Once done showering and taking care of business, you got dressed and headed down the stairs. Sans's office door was slightly ajar, which was really weird for him. You went over, intending to close it when you heard a grunt from inside. You froze with your hand on the door handle and blinked.

Another soft grunt and you slowly closed the door a little more. While you were curious, if you didn't get your ass on the go, you were going to be late.

You yawned as you made your way into the kitchen, intending to grab a granola bar for your breakfast. The sight of Edge filled your vision as you almost ran smack dab into him. He reached out quickly, steadying you as you wavered on your feet, still half asleep.

“Thanks,” you muttered, rubbing one of your eyes.

“ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?”

You looked up at him. You could have sworn you were hearing things, but as he awaited your answer, you felt a tiny smile form on your mouth. You patted his hand absently as you left his grip to go and grab your breakfast.

“I'm alright, Edge,” you murmured tiredly. “I'm just waking up, so I'm a groggy.”

“YOU ARE UP EARLY,” he noted. “WHY ARE YOU AWAKE?”

You chuckled. “I have to work today. Plus, I'll have to go over all my notes from the trip yesterday.”

The mention of the trip made something move across his features, but he didn't say anything and the look was gone in a flash. Instead, wordlessly, he dragged you by your arm to the front door. You didn't say anything as he brought down one of the others' coats – Sans; you knew by the smell of ketchup – and threw it over your shoulders. He then tightened his scarf and pointed toward your shoes as he slid his boots on.

You obeyed and put on the boots, tying them up quickly before standing again. Without another word, he opened the door and waved you along. When you left, he came after you, closing the door quietly and following you.

You shivered, bringing the hood up on the coat to cover your ears. The warm weather had completely left the mountains. Fall was settling in, and it was here to stay for the long run. Your breath was fogging up in front of you a little bit, and you snorted as some of the fur from Sans's coat tickled your nose.

Edge was uncharacteristically quiet, and you chanced a glance over at the tall skeleton. His eyelights were moving around, taking in the surroundings of your walk. You chuckled a little and continued your trek through the cold to work. You knew it was going to be a busy day, and being a Friday, it was probably going to a be a little busier. Hot coffees and teas were going to be a hit with the way this weather was going.

As you mulled everything in the back of your mind, Edge behavior was at the front. After everyone had gotten home last night, and you had settled against Stretch and Red to watch some shitty movie after dinner, you noticed he had been watching you. He would appear in the doorway randomly, but never said anything. Then he would march off muttering something under his breath.

When you asked Red about, he had just made some comment about him just acting a little funny from the day's events. You winced, but had still curled yourself between the two skeletons and watched the movie.

Mutt had also been keen on watching you, too. He and Black had stayed for dinner, even though Blackberry made sure to voice that his burritos were top notch and better than the swill the others made. You rolled your eyes and ignored him, focusing on trying to keep the food down.

He had watched you the entire night. Even when Black had told him was time to go, he had paused, whisking your hand from your lap and pressing a small kiss to it. And all of the boys had jumped at him while he chuckled lowly and disappeared to stand beside Black. Your face had been as red as a tomato, and you covered it with your hands as the others all called bullshit.

You didn't understand what they were so mad about. Maybe they were having a competition to see who could make you swoon first. You chuckled at that, drawing Edge's attention.

“WHAT'S SO FUNNY?”

You smiled as you turned a corner. “I was just thinking about how the others were upset because Mutt kissed my hand last night before he and Black left.”

Edge paused in his walking. You stopped with him and looked over at him. His face was now twisted in a scowl and you could hear a slight creaking noise. Was he grinding his teeth together?

“THE HOUND DID WHAT?”

You shrugged. “He kissed my hand, it's not a big deal. C'mon. We're almost there. I'm sure Angela will let you have something to take home.”

You continued, and you noticed he was stiff the entire way there. You talked idly about the cold, and you mentioned something about your classes being rough come Monday. You remembered there were midterms coming up soon and you held back a groan.

When you got to work, Angela let you inside. When she saw the tall skeleton behind you, she grinned and ushered him inside as well. You didn't even pause as you unzipped the coat and shrugged it off of your shoulders. You went into the back to put all of your stuff away, tucking your phone into your back pocket and clocking in.

Angela was already behind the counter and making a cup of coffee for Edge, was looking around the establishment with a keen eye. You were scared for a minute that he would bring up what had happened the other day, but to your relief, he kept it to himself. Instead, he thanked your manager and told you someone would be by to get you when you were done with work.

When he left, your manager looked at you with wide eyes. “Not only is he scary lookin', he's loud as hell. He also looks a lot like Papyrus. You can tell they're related.”

You huffed, keeping your secrets to yourself as you nodded, snagging your own cup of coffee while grinding more beans for a fresh pot. The baker for the morning came out, greeting you with a hug. You hugged him back as the three of you talked and worked, laughing and joking about what customers you would have that day.

Always remember, if you're rude to customer service people, they're mocking you, even years later. From what you've experienced and seen, it never fails.

You unlocked the front door, turning the “Closed” sign over to “Open”. You nodded to yourself as a few of the early risers and last nights partiers came in, dragging their feet as they ordered drinks and food. One guy even tried asking for aspirin, not even remembering he had come into a cafe. You felt bad for him, but directed him to the shop down the road after selling him a tea.

When you glanced at the clock, only an hour had passed. You blew out a breath, and steadied yourself. It was going to be a long day.

–

“WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TELL HER?”

Sans groaned when Edge barged through his bedroom door. He hated when the loud fucker did this. He thought he had set boundaries last time, and when he had cornered Red about it, the simpering, edgy version of him had merely shrugged.

“boss does what 'e wants, 'nilla,” he'd said. “can't help ya.”

He was going to dust this raging, emo version of his brother one of these days.

Instead, today, he turned over with a grunt and sat up, rubbing one of his hands over his eye sockets. “what are you yelling about now, edge?”

“THE HUMAN HAS YET TO KNOW ABOUT THE BOND, DOESN'T SHE?”

He froze, his hand hanging in mid air while the words flowed over him. Edge knew about the bond, which meant that everyone had to know. He sighed; he had been hoping the version of him, swapped or otherwise, had kept quiet about it. But, if they were anything like him, of course they'd tell their brothers.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed. “get everyone together. now.”

Edge left, thankfully, as Sans tried his best to get his bearings. He could hear the angry skeleton banging on every bedroom door, yelling at everyone to wake up. He knew he would have to get the others together, too. The ones that had met you, at least. He didn't think the others would mind for now, and if they brought it up after this conversation, then you at least wouldn't be thrown for a loop.

But the thought of telling you this not long after you found out one of his dirty little secrets not that long ago made his soul go cold. What if you rejected them all? What if it was too much for you, to have this many bond mates, or even potential soulmates? Sure, you could pick and choose which ones you really wanted to bond with or whatever, but still...

What if you forgot about _him_?

Sighing, he grabbed his phone from the stand and began dialing, putting his phone to his skull. May as well get this over with before she comes home.

–

On your break, you had gotten a text from Sans letting you know he needed to speak with you about something important. You had narrowed your eyes, holding your phone in front of you as you thought of how to respond. But how did you respond? While you had tried fully forgiving him for the shit he pulled, you felt like you couldn't just yet.

So when you had responded with an okay, you had gone back to work. You spent the rest of your shift trying to tell people that, no, the sale didn't include that pastry. No, the coupon only works with this type of coffee. Yes, you could take credit cards. It so monotonous that it was slowly drowning you in anger.

By the time your shift was about to end, you were about to scream and tear your hair out. You were serving your last few customers when the bell above the door rang and you turned to look over your shoulder and grinned from ear to ear.

“hey, cutie!”

Sin came waltzing through the door and up to the counter, leaning against it as he lowered his socket in a wink at you. He wore his vest with his fur hood still, but he had on a black tee shirt underneath it. When you came over to hand a customer their coffee, you saw he was wearing ripped up skinny jeans which were tucked into his boots. He had on a pair of fingerless gloves and you chuckled when he blew you a kiss.

“What brings you into town?” you asked, looking around. “Don't see Pink anywhere.”

“he's back at the house,” Sin said, grinning up at you. “classic called us all over and wanted to talk. said he knew you knew about... _us_.”

About how he was Sans and Pink was Papyrus? Oh, yeah, how could you ever forget? You just shrugged and sent him a wink as someone else came through the door and came to the counter. You took care of them while Sin looked at the pastries in the display case in front of his, his heart shaped purple eyelights catching you off guard.

They always seemed to be like that, and seeing them brought back that dream you had that included him. God, you felt your face flushing. Were you red? You were pretty sure you were red.

Once you had finished with the customer, you looked over at him. “Would you like anything? It's on the house.”

“oh! can i have you~?”

Fuck. Yeah, you were a tomato.

You laughed, waving your hand at him lazily. “Tea? Coffee?”

“oh, i would love some tea!”

You made him his tea to his specifications and handed it to him. After a careful sip, he winked at you and waited as you clocked out, gathered your things and made yourself another cup of coffee before bidding your coworkers and manager goodbye. Once out of the shop, Sin grabbed your hand and practically skipped all the way back to the house.

When he asked how your day was, he watched you. How animated you could get. You didn't even realize it, the silly little thing you are. He loved watching how those honey colored eyes reflected in the sun. It turned them the color of cognac, and he loved his cognac. You motions were always so lively, too.

He had enjoyed you so much. He had been trying to talk his brother into moving back, at least into the neighborhood. But he denied it, saying that if they were this close to their bond mate, shit would go awry. He could definitely see how. You already had the house to worry about. Add him and his brother into the mix with nothing but sex on the cranium?

Oh, but you would be _so much fun_. He could feel his tongue flicking against the back of his teeth and it took everything in him not to drag you into an alleyway and bend you over. He would love to get a taste of you.

But Classic was right. You needed to know about the bond first before They couldn't just start dog piling on top of you like a couple of animals. The thought made him chuckle as he imagined the lot of boss monsters you were paired with doing such a thing.

You finally fell quiet when you reached the house. You noticed there were a few of the skeletons here after all. Stretch, Red, Mutt, G, Axe, Buddy and Guy were all outside smoking. Different colored smoked trailed up from their cigarettes or blew through their nasal cavities. You waved to the lot of them as you approached the house.

They all waved and greeted you, each of them watching you curiously. You didn't know what was going on; maybe there was something going on with how they got here? You weren't sure, but Sin tugged you inside and brought you into the living room.

“she's here~!”

Crooks was the first one to scoop you up into a hug. You laughed, wrapping your arms around his scarf to return the hug. The smell of macadamias and cocoa washed over you, and in inhaled the scent a little. You didn't know why, but their scents had really been tickling you lately, and you had been able to tell who smelled like what. It was...nice.

“HUMAN! IT IS SO NICE TO SEE YOU! HOW DID YOUR EXCURSION GO YESTERDAY?”

You smiled and patted his cheek. “It went great, thanks, Crooks.”

He set you down on your feet and you felt your hand being grabbed. Before you could see who it was, you were brought close to another skeleton, and heart shaped pink eyelights greets you from hooded lids. You chuckled, freeing your hand and giving him a hug.

“Hello to you, too, Pink.”

“Ah, Good To See You In Good Spirits, Candy,” he replied, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek.

You felt your face flush and you giggled, covering your mouth as you stepped back. The others began to file into the living room and you took in just how many there actually were. All of these different versions of your Sans and Papyrus were scattering into different areas, but sticking close to their brothers.

And to think, there were still others out there you hadn't met yet!

Sans came up next to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. The odd combination of ketchup and walnuts took through your senses and you smiled at him as he led you over to his favorite comfy chair. He plopped you down in it and handed you the coffee you had left on the table in favor of hugging Crooks. You took gratefully, burrowing into the warmth of his coat still.

“Thanks.”

“oh, don't thank me yet,” he grumbled. “you're probably gonna hate me after this.”

You blinked up at him. Hate him? He had literally hid the fact he proved the multiverse theory from you and you didn't hate him. Sure, maybe mad. But you couldn't hate him. You didn't think you even could.

After everyone had finally settled, you were admittedly feeling a little crowded. There were nine pairs of brothers, plus G who was standing next to Sans. You remembered what it said about him having lost his entire family, his friends. The Underground was gone for him. It had only been him and Frisk, and even now, she wasn't here. Was she still Underground by herself, looking for the CORE?

You shook your head from your thoughts when Sans cleared his throat. “so...i know this seems a little weird, and a little formal. tell me, kiddo, what do you remember of our conversations about monsters?”

Ewh, pop quiz. You thought back to all of the things you both had discussed and took a drink of your coffee. There had definitely been a lot discussed since you were so curious. Plus, you lived in a monster populated town, after all.

“I remember you mentioning some stuff on souls. Not much, but enough to ease my curiosity,” you grumbled, half to yourself. “There was also the stuff on you being a 'boss monster', and you mentioned the differences between human souls and monster souls.”

He nodded, pleased with your memory. You smiled up at him and brought your legs up to tuck under you. It was quiet for a minute before he spoke again, slowly, like he was trying to gather his words.

“do you remember our discussion on bonds?”

You squinted your eyes into space as you tried your best to remember. You do remember a fleeting conversation one night at Grillby's, when you had received a text from your mother about all the suitors she had lined up for you. You had felt the anger and had decided you needed your drinking buddy to empty bottle after bottle.

He had explained how bonds worked, and you remember as you took a longer drink of your coffee.

“Vaguely. I remember you can form a bond with just about anyone, but it takes time and care to nurture that bond into something more,” you muttered, scratching the side of your head. “That's how monsters find their soulmates. Humans, too, but to a lesser degree.”

Sans nodded. You missed the looks around the room of wonder. How you managed to retain all of that information and repeat it back to him was astounding, but no one voiced their opinion on the matter. Instead, there were looks of want on their faces. You were going to be the perfect mate.

Something clicked in the back of your mind and you whipped your head to look at the short skeleton as he was taking in a breath to say something else.

“What are you getting at here?”

He paused before letting out a nervous chuckle. “so...uh...”

“what he's trying to so _eloquently_ say,” G said from your other side. _Shit, when did he move?_ “is that you're bond mates.”

“With him?”

“and papyrus.”

You took that in for a minute. “Okay. So...then if these guys are all you...then...” The puzzle finally completed, you stared at Sans wide eyed and disbelieving. “Are you trying to tell me I have _all of you_ as bond mates?!”

He nodded sheepishly, not even trying to hide the guilt eating at him. You could do nothing but stare at him in shock, before letting your gaze roam over the others in the room. You were met with waves, grins and winks of different varieties. Buddy even lifted his hand shaped in a V, flicking a pierced tongue through the middle of it with a wink.

Your face flamed and you groaned. Okay, you could handle this right? Not to mention there were ones you hadn't even met yet. You had nineteen of them here with you already; just how many more of them were there that you hadn't met? You tried thinking back to the pages in the folder you were keeping stashed in your room, much to Sans's displeasure.

You sighed, rubbing a hand down your face before you conceded. “Okay.” You drained the last of your coffee, placing the empty cup on the table beside you before regarding all of the confused looks in the room.

“okay?” Buddy asked, raising an eyebrow. “that's it?”

You shrugged. “Other than just leaving and not talking to any of you again, I'm at a loss. I don't plan on leaving. I still plan on talking to you all. I just...I need to take some time to figure all this out.”

They all nodded in understanding, and you turned to Sans. His face was flushed a deep blue and he wouldn't meet your eyes. You stood from your seat, holding up your finger for the others as you grabbed your buddy's hand and and hauled him from the room.

You stopped in the dining room, turning him to face you. You smiled up at him and patted his cheekbones. “Look at me, Sansy.”

He did, his white eyelights tiny. He was scared, you realized. He thought you were either going to leave or blow up. Something. He didn't expect this calm thing to be the real thing, and you felt your heart tighten. You threw your arms around him, causing him to grunt in surprise. But after a minute of being held, he finally relaxed against you, his arms finally circling your waist.

“I'm not mad about this, Sans,” you murmured. “I'm still mad about the others, but not this. I can't be mad over having a strong bond with my best friend, who could maybe one day actually be my soulmate.”

He didn't say anything, but he did squeeze you tighter. You both stayed like that for a little bit, rocking where you stood and taking in each other's warmth. You could hear quiet talking in the other room from the others, but your focus was on Sans.

“i just don't want you to forget me.”

You blinked, moving back a little to look at him. He looked dismal, his eyelights fuzzy as he looked at you. You were more shocked he had actually shared his _feelings_ with you, otherwise you would have had a snappy comeback ready in no time.

“I won't,” you whispered. “You and I will work on this...this whatever it is. But first, I need time to absorb it all. I'm going to go talk to Morgan about all of this, and probably stay with him for a couple of days while I figure out where to go from there.”

He nodded, smiling a little. “i understand, princess.”

No kiddo. No buddy. No bucko. Princess. He had called you princess. Your cheeks reddened in a blush and you chuckled, pushing on his shoulder for a second before you wrapped your arms around him again. After a few more minutes, you started hearing some of them arguing in the other room, so you sighed. You let him go, flashing one more smile before jogging into the next room.

“Hey!” you barked. “What the hell, guys?”

“that fuckin' ashtray is diggin' 'is grave!” Buddy snapped.

Stretch held up his hands in surrender, rolling a sucker around between his teeth. “all i said was that you probably won't spend much time with her since you're not around often enough, so count yourselves out now.”

You glared. “Now all of you listen,” you snapped. “This is not going to be some kind of competition. I will do my best to spend time with _all_ of you. Not just the ones in the house or nearby. This includes the humans, and even Sin and Pink and G.”

You eyed each skeleton before crossing your arms over your chest. Each of them nodded when you glanced at them, and Stretch at least had the audacity to look ashamed of what he said. You rubbed your eyes with the heels of your hand. You pulled your phone from the pocket of Sans's coat and tapped away on it, texting Morgan first thing. You still had to talk to him anyway about renting out the house.

“I'm heading out for a few days,” you told them now. “I'm going to spend time with Morgan and his friends. Probably eat junk food and plan out some new songs or whatever. Plus, I need to talk to him about the house anyway.”

“And Just Who Is This 'Morgan'?”

You chanced a glance over at Chief. His eyes were much like Buddy's, a shocking ruby red that threw you for a loop. But you glared at him a little, popping your hip out just the slightest bit.

“He's my friend,” you snarked. “A very close friend who just texted me back and told me he was going to be here in a couple of hours. So with that, I'm going to go pack some stuff up and get ready to leave.”

You turned on your heel and left the room. You failed to see the way Chief's eyes sparkled at you. He had always loved a good challenge, and you were going to be no different. Edge hadn't been kidding about how bullheaded this one was. He always loved a puzzle, and he was going to love figuring you out.

You made it to your room, collapsing on the bed and trying to think over everything that had happened. So not only had Sans managed to prove the multiverse theory, he had also managed to create such a strong bond with you, it affected the others. And the same went with Papyrus, even though your bond with him probably wasn't as strong. You were still reeling from this information when there was a knock on your door.

“Yeah?”

“it's just me, kiddo.”

You chuckled. “Come in, Sans.”

He made his way into the room, shutting the door behind him. He came over and sat next to you, his hands in his pockets. You leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder and blowing out a breath.

“it's okay if you tell morgan,” he finally said. “just so long as he doesn't go runnin' his mouth.”

You laughed weakly. “I don't think he will. He probably had it figured out a long time ago, honestly. He can act stupid, but he's pretty damn smart.”

It was quiet between the two of you with you just leaning against him and his head resting atop yours. It felt like old times, before all this chaos. Sitting in the living room watching movies and shows and random things. You realized with a small smile that was what probably started the silly bond in the first place.

He finally moved, standing and bending down to press his teeth to your cheek in a kiss. “stay safe, and keep us updated with how you're doing, alright? Now that everything is out in the open, it's gonna be like open season.”

You chuckled, shoving his shoulder. “I will.”

He left after that, and you flopped down on your bed while staring at the ceiling. You really hoped there would be no more surprises from them. These two were already big enough, but you couldn't handle anymore. With a sigh, you sat up and got off the bed, grabbing one of your many bags and hauled it from the closet before heading to your dresser and packing it with what you needed.

You just needed time. You needed time to come to terms with what was going on, and how you were going to handle it. You needed to make sure you didn't stretch yourself too thin. You also had work and school to think of, even though finals were in a month, and midterms had really knocked you on your ass. You had passed, but it had still taken a lot from you.

You felt another long winded sigh come from your lips as you placed both hands on your dresser and leaned your forehead on the edge of it, shutting your eyes. You could get through this. You knew it was going to be a lot of work, but you could handle this. You would just need to remember everything Sans had taught you about boss monsters. It would be tedious, but you knew you could get through this.

After all, you survived your mom. You survived her side of the family. You survived Daisy and your ex. You could survive this, too. You knew they would do anything to protect you, and you would do anything to protect them. But, you needed time to absorb it all and just...come to terms that you had _at least_ twenty bond mates. You didn't know how many you hadn't met yet, either.

With a groan, you pushed off the dresser, opening your eyes and continuing your packing. There was a familiar smell of hickory in the room with you and you sighed, not turning to face him as you kept going.

“What is it, Mutt?”

“are you okay?”

“I'm fine.”

You gasped as the bag was torn from your grip. You were about to protest when you were spun around, your back slamming into the dresser roughly. His phalanges gripped your chin and held your face in place to look up at him as he leaned down, amber eyes flashing. He didn't look mad, but he looked put out and you felt your back straightened.

“don't lie to me, brat,” he rasped quietly. “are. you. okay?”

“I told you, I'm fine,” you mumbled. “Just...I need to get going soon.”

Your hands were fiddling with the ends of your shirt and you gripped it tightly in your fist. You didn't want to appear weak, but after the stress of the last week, you could feel your determination slowly begin to crumble. There was something else that was taking root, and you tried your best to push it aside.

You weren't this weak person. You were strong, and you knew what you wanted from life. There were just times like you felt you needed a break from the constant shit life threw at you. Instead of fighting off Mutt, you rapidly wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his deep orange turtleneck, grabbing chunks of it with your fist.

He just wrapped his arms around your small, shaking form, his teeth coming down in a kiss on the crown of your head. He must have known, somehow, that you were in turmoil. And he came to check on you, despite what the others would have said. You were thankful he was there, even as you refused to let the tears fall.

He sighed, your hair moving from his warm breath.

“yer such'a brat.”

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stretch & Buddy: *fighting because Stretch is being an ass*  
> MC: Knock it tf off.  
> Everyone: ok


	17. Time Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You spend time with Morgan and the band members before you head to the bar for singing night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. _*eating Cheez-It's at 6 am*_ What's up?
> 
> The first part of this chapter is Morgan centered. You spend time with him, like the summary says.
> 
> Truth be told, Morgan wasn't supposed to be as important an OC as the others. But he seemed popular, so here we are with the rocker best human friend as your go to. This chapter is also dedicated to Mage_Mitsu, since she shares a name with out wonderful rocker. And she wanted to make sure we had good things from him.
> 
> So, I hope this lives up to your expectations. Q~Q
> 
> Also...WHERE THE FUCK DID 520 KUDOS COME FROM!? T~T You guys are so amazing. <3 Thank you for reading this far and being here for this messy journey that I have no idea what I'm doing. x'D
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Come follow me on Tumblr and get to know me! (:
> 
>  **Songs within chapter:**  
>  Break Your Little Heart - All Time Low  
> That's What You Get - Paramore  
> Easier - 5 Seconds of Summer

When Morgan came to get you, he had one of his other buddies with him. After exchanging hugs and letting the boys chat for a bit, you finally pulled them away, tucking your hand in Morgan's from habit. There was a...few growls from behind you, but you ignored them as you told him about the zoo trip, leaving out the...more undesirable part of said trip. You missed the smug grin that Morgan shot over your shoulders at the boys, earning more growls that you ignored.

The three of you left, and you swung your hands between the two of you as you caught him up with what was going on. With his buddy there, you didn't mention anything about multiverse theories, or bondmates. You kept things practical, even talking about your classes. You even told him about Daisy somewhat. And then you brought up the house that was currently laying empty. Or at least, you hoped. 

“That's what I want to talk to you about,” you said. “I can't give it to you, but I know your buddies are having a hard time with their dorms or apartments, and you need a decent place to sleep. So I figured, why not rent it to you guys?”

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, his buddy right next to him. You paused in your walking, already almost to the house as you watched them glance at each other. You smiled at their disbelief, waving them along. When they finally caught up to you, they shot questions at you with the quickness.

You answered each one with ease. Yes, you were sure. No, you weren't going to charge them. No, you didn't want their goddamn money. Yes, you were absolutely sure you were making the right choice. Yes, you were positive you loved him that much.

While you and Morgan hadn't known each other long, it still felt like an eternity. You had helped each other, and though he knew you came from money, he didn't want anything to do with it, claiming if you ended up acting like some snobby rich bitch, he was kicking you to the curb and ghosting the fuck out of you.

You hooked your arms through theirs as you made it to the street, and nostalgia took a hold of you. How long had it been since you'd been here? The memories spending time with Cayden and Morgan doing school work or cooking dinner. Taking turns cleaning the different rooms. You remember even having a few laughs with Daisy, before her attitude really took a turn for the worse. You smiled a little as you pulled the key out from your pocket, inserting into the lock and turning it.

When you opened the door, you smiled. Daisy had definitely left; you could traces of her gone and there was a giant burn in the carpet in the hallway. You rolled you eyes and ushered everyone inside, chuckling and just trying to escape the cold. Once inside, you went to the thermostat and turned it up a little blowing on your hands.

“I'm going to see if she tampered with anything!” you called as you made your way up the stairs.

“Alright!”

You made it up the stairs and went into your old room, pushing the door open slowly. You glanced around, but nothing seemed to have been touched. You did glance above the door for a moment. There had been a time where she had placed a bucket of cold water on top of your door.

Seeing it was safe, you went inside and tossed your bag on the bed. When you plopped down on it, you breathed in the familiar smell. It smelled like home, and you sighed, turning on your back and staring up at the ceiling fan. You wonder if it had ever been turned off since you left. You weren't sure if Daisy had stepped in here or not, but no matter now.

You left your room and went back downstairs. You noticed Morgan's buddy had left, and you went into the kitchen, where Morgan was muttering to himself about the state of the fridge.

“You good?”

He glanced at you, scowling. “Nah, there's a bunch of expired and rotten things in here. Had Seven go out and grab some other shit.”

“Is that even his real name?”

“Nah, that's what I call him. His actual name is Isaiah.”

You chuckled, sitting down on the table, swinging your legs in the air as he stood and closed the fridge. He was tying up the bag while you tried to figure how to tell him everything you had figured out. He left to take the trash out and you glanced out the window.

You really hadn't been in here in a while. Winter was starting to take its hold and it wasn't even officially that season. It was barely even November. You felt your lips twist; you always hated the cold weather, but you wanted to come here for school. And that meant living within the mountains and shit. It bothered you, but whatever.

You turned back to the doorway as Morgan came in, shutting the front door behind him. You hopped off the table and made your way with him into the living room, where he then lit up a smoke and placed a makeshift ashtray on the table. You smiled, trying your best not to ask for one. You really needed to kick this horrible habit.

“So what's going on, birdie?” he finally asked. “Talked to that G fella at the party and he was as vague as you have been.”

“Well...”

And with that, you word vomited all over the place as you explained the last few days. Starting from your findings in the library, to why Daisy showed up, to what you had learned today. You still left out the incident at the zoo; you didn't know how he'd react to it, but you knew it wasn't going to be pretty if he found out.

Morgan had gone through a minimum of four cigarettes during your explanation, which you were thankful he didn't try to offer you one. You would have taken it without thinking, and you had been doing really good. Luckily, you weren't smoking as long this time, so it shouldn't be as hard to kick. You were past the first three days, so it should be easier from here.

When you were finally done telling your tale, Morgan blew out a breath and leaned back on the couch, blowing up a flume of smoke to the ceiling. It was really strange not seeing it as different colors, and you watched as it curled in the air.

“So you're telling me Sans actually proved the multiverse theory?”

“Yes.”

“And that he and all of his 'cousins' are bond mates?”

“Fact.”

“And now you're trying to run away?”

You snapped your head over to him, narrowing your eyes. “I'm not running away, Morgan. I need time to think about what they told me.”

“What's there to think about?” he asked without missing a beat, sitting up again. “Listen, they told you what you needed to hear. Sure, it's a lot to take in. There's a lot of them out there, right? You said there was even a few you hadn't met.” He stubbed out his cigarette and grabbing his pack for a fifth. “I know you're not running away, but you're starting to wrap yourself in a panic. You don't need to panic, you know? They're there for you. They've been there for you, even when they didn't know you. Remember, I've met some of them. They're cool dudes.”

“Morgan, what are you getting at?” you finally asked, gripping the edge of your shirt in your hands.

“What I'm saying, birdie, is to give them a chance,” he said, lighting up. “Give them a chance to show you who they are. From what you told me, Sans said that monsters can sometimes have more than one bond mate, and even more than one soulmate, right?”

You stared at him, astonished. “Are you telling me to enter a poly type relationship?” you asked, your voice ending on a chuckle.

He grinned. “Hey, if you want. More power to ya!”

“Vile!” you cackled, taking a throw pillow and hitting him with it.

He laughed and the both of you leaned back into the cushions. You curled into his side while he played with your hair, turning on the TV to some random movie. You both made snarky comments, even as Isaiah came back, bearing groceries and even the rest of Morgan's friends.

One of the bags contained alcohol, and it flowed freely as you played drinking games. You remember grabbing your phone and texting a few of the guys who had texted you that you were okay. You just needed time right now.

You fell into Morgan at one point, laughing at some horrible joke he made. You spent the rest of the night like that. Laughing and making memories with the people that mattered the most to you, other than your group of silly, stupid, overbearing skeletons.

You had really missed these times.

–

“You want me to come back again?”

You sat at the kitchen table with the boys, nursing a cup of coffee while Terrence made breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon and sausage filled the kitchen and brought you back to the morning you had made breakfast for everyone in the house after the giant blanket fort. Your first night in that house.

You needed to get a cork board so you could pin up the pictures you got.

Morgan nodded his head in his hands as he absently stirred a spoon around in his coffee mug. “Yeah. Talked it over with the guys a while back and they said they had no qualms over it.”

“You sound good,” Isaiah piped in. “Not many people can really vibe with the rest of us, you know. I think you would be a great addition.”

The others agreed and you rolled your eyes. “Fine, I guess. But, I'm telling you right now, at the first sign of funny business, I'm outtie.”

Morgan chuckled, wincing as his hangover told him that was a bad move. “Fair enough, birdie. I'll help ya abide by that.”

As you all ate breakfast, you asked if they had come up with any other songs to preform and Morgan told you he would show you later. After he had taken some headache medication and took a long nap. You were honestly in the same boat as him. Plus, you wanted to try and figure out just how many others you had yet to meet from your bond mates.

That was such a strange concept for you to accept. You had brought the folder with you and it was tucked in the bag somewhere. You had really wanted to wait until you had met them, but you need to know just deep of a hole you're in.

You helped Terrence clean up after breakfast, laughing as he threw water on you. You sprayed him with the hose before Morgan came in, shaking his head.

“We don't need the kitchen turning into a lake, children,” he groaned. “Please, just get done and go nap or something.”

With that he left, and you finished up with the dishes. Terrence patted you on the head as he passed and you chuckled, moving to go and head upstairs. When you got to your room, you shut the door softly, letting it click before you went to your bed. You pulled your bag up to the bed and dug through it to find the folder.

When you found it, let your bag fall to the floor and placed the folder on the bed. You opened it, flipping through the pages as you looked into the faces of the ones you knew. You smiled, your heart feeling warm as you traced your fingers over their pictures. Finally, you flipped to the next page, gnawing on your bottom lip.

A single white eyelight and a teal cross hair greeted you. The owner of that odd eyelight had a smoke dangling from his teeth. The smoke filtering upward. He wore a snow based camo outfit, and the hood was covered in fur. His teeth were sharpened points just like the fell verse skeletons you knew. He looked...indifferent.

You looked through his notes briefly.

“ _Hunter” verse_

_Sans goes by “Hunter”_

_Barrier is broken_

_Monsters hunt humans for revenge_

_Some humans are good with monsters_

_No word on Frisk???_

“ _Hunter” is still Judge_

_Big name within human society_

_Not much else known_

You pursed your lips. Not much else known? Not how many routes it took for them to get there? Not even what happened with Frisk? Maybe when you finally met this version of Sans, you could ask your questions. But until then, you flipped the page.

Something felt...off about this picture. The skeleton featured in it had one red eyelight, and the other one was purple ringed in red. His permagrin was stretched just a little too wide, and something about the way he stared at the camera, with his head tilted back with finger guns pointing at the person behind it made you shiver.

You glanced at the notes.

“ _Dust” verse_

_Sans goes by “Dusty”_

_One TPR_

_Chara took over after reset_

_99 genocide runs_

_Dusty...dusts everyone_

_Even dusts Papyrus_

_Claims to still see his Papyrus?_

_Claimed to do so to beat Chara_

_Needed LV to do so_

_**HAS HIGHEST LV; KEEP AWAY** _

You slammed your hand on the notes, feeling your stomach roll. The image of Papyrus crumbling to dust from his own brother made you want to upchuck your breakfast, but you held it together.

Chara...the teenager you took out trick or treating? What does she have to do with any of this? You remember his name popping up in a lot of their timelines, if not all of them. You did feel a little weird whenever the kid looked at you with those sharp red eyes. It was like he knew he unsettled people.

You shook it off and flipped to the next page. You were greeted with another pair of brothers, both of whom looked relaxed and actually _pleased_ to be there. The Sans of the two was relaxed, staring at the camera with an easy grin. You could see the hoodie he wore was blue, with black string leading down to white balls of floof. There was fur on his hoodie, too.

The Papyrus next to him looked like he had stars in his eyes as he stared at the camera in total excitement. He wore a battle body similar to the one you've seen your Papyrus wear on occasions. But it was blue and the symbol on the chest plate was golden yellow. The scarf he wore was a deep blue, with white dots on it and yellow tassels at the end. You guess maybe the dots were supposed to be stars? And with it, he wore blue gloves.

“ _Outer” verse_

_Sent to space, not Underground_

“ _Flowey” is Twinkly Twinkly_

_Lived on a moon somewhere; U/K_

_When killed, turns to “stardust”_

_Papyrus still wants to be part of the Royal Guard_

_Sans goes by “Galaxy”_

_Papyrus goes by “Stars”_

_Frisk uses jet pack to get around_

“ _Galaxy” is still Judge_

_Everything same as AT otherwise_

Huh. So in the universe, they got to live among the stars. You couldn't help but wonder how much they really wanted to get back to earth, while the others really wanted to see where they got to live. It was something you couldn't fathom.

Being trapped somewhere for so long, losing hope. Wishing someone would save you from the hell that is your life. You found that especially true when it came to the fell verses. You wondered if there were fell or swap verses of the other universes. Maybe Sans would know.

You closed the folder and fell back against the bed. You bounced slightly while you moved to curl up on your side and grabbed for your phone. You'd barely glanced at it earlier before you crawled your hungover ass out of bed, noticing there were a couple of messages from the boys. You smiled as you chuckled, clicking on the app to scroll through what they were saying.

**SANSational:** hope you're doin' alright. things have calmed down now that most of them have left.

 **BigRed:** come home. m bored an no one wants t play. ;)

 **Tiny Captain:** MISS Y/N! I HOPE YOU'RE OKAY. I'M SORRY IF WE'VE OVERWHELMED YOU! PLEASE COME BACK SOON! I WANNA MAKE MORE MUFFINS!

 **AxeMeLater:** if ya need a few more days and don't wanna stay with your human friend, come on by. paps and i wouldn't mind.

 **HippityHop:** hey, sweets. just making sure you're okay.

 **Captain PainInTheAss:** YOU BEST BE BACK FOR TRAINING ON MONDAY! NO EXCUSES!

 **HottieWithASkeleBody:** oh, cutie, why'd you run away? we could have had so much fun~! ;*

 **(Unknown Number):** ey, sweetheart. betcha can't guess who this s. (;

 **(Unknown Number):** Hello, Miss Y/n! I'm Sorry If We Seemed To Bombard You! Please Accept My Apologies, And I Hope To Hear From You Soon! - Paps

You scrolled through all of the texts, chuckling a little. You messaged them all back, calling out Buddy on his dumb shit and adding him and Paps into your contacts before glancing through your social media, humming to yourself. Your phone dinged as a preview of a text message came through. You chuckled and clicked on it.

**Bruh:** ah, don't be like that, sweetheart. we could have such a great time. ;*

 **You:** Well, unlike your skeletal counterparts, I'm sure you have an actual dick I can lodge into your throat?

You cackled to yourself as you sent it, rolling over onto your stomach and placing your phone next to you, nesting your head in your arms. You shut your eyes and slowly let sleep take you away. You were unaware of the teal colored cross hair in the corner, watching you before it disappeared.

–

“Okay, so which ones are we doing?”

You glanced over the sheets of paper, running your finger over the names of the songs and frowning. There was a couple you were doing with him, but only one you were doing by yourself. You didn't mind that too much, but you didn't remember writing this song...

“You didn't write it, birdie,” Morgan said from next to you, leaning on the table. “This is all me. I thought this song suited you perfect, though. So give it a shot.”

You nodded. “Alright, I guess.”

Morgan watched you, his eyes flicking over your face. You looked like you hadn't slept in a month rather than just a night. Worry lines were beginning to form from the creases on your face, and there was something weighing heavily on your mind. He knew what it was, sure. But he wondered if there was anything more he could than just listen to you.

You were always there for him when he needed someone. When he thought Daisy might have been the one for him, you had quickly shut him down, telling him all of the details on her. Part of him wondered where he'd be if you hadn't set him straight that night.

It had been the night you two really connected. And not as potential friends to lovers, just platonic as one could get. You felt nothing for him, and he felt nothing for you. He was just happy you existed as his friend. Probably his best friend. He was just worried one of those skeletal douches would mess you up; or the human versions of them, for that matter.

Something about you always lit the room up when you walked into it. Maybe it had something to do with the whole soul thing that monsters were always so worried about. You had been through a lot, and you still chose to push through it and keep going. You stuck by your decisions and kept your head on straight even in stressful situations.

Those boys were damn lucky to have you. And they needed to understand that before they took anything any further with you. You were a good woman, and you needed someone to take the reins from you for a little while.

Sighing, he leaned away, crossing his arms as he glanced at the house around him. To think, you were giving them a place to stay. You didn't know his friends very well, didn't have a reason to trust him. But he watched as you interacted with them, pointing out something on a score sheet that caught your eye and talking to them about it. You were just...nice. You were kind to everyone who came around, and you had the patience of a saint. Look how long you put up with Daisy.

He chuckled to himself as he pulled out a smoke and lit up, blowing it out through his nose as he watched your smile slowly stretch across your face over something Isaiah was something. You brought out the best in people, and he absolutely loved that. You made people shine at their brightest, and you always left a trail of giddiness in your wake. Even if they never realized you did.

It reminded him of his little buddy, Blueberry. He'd been talking to the little guy and he'd promised him to come by soon. Maybe Morgan would take you home so he could see his little dude. That was his buddy, can't no one tell him different.

You glanced over at Morgan, watching the spacey look on his face and chuckled. You looked back at Isaiah and Terrence, leaning against the table and pointing at something else on the sheet. It was going to be a long day, but you were okay with that.

It gave you the chance to think about things. Morgan had told you yesterday to basically give them all a chance and if you came out with more than one, then so be it. But there were _twenty-five_ of them. How the hell would that even work? Go week by week? Month to month? What the hell were you even supposed to do with that many people?

Christ.

You rubbed your forehead for a second before you told the boys you were going to start dinner. All of you had slept through lunch, and you could feel hunger pains gnawing at your stomach. You could only imagine how the others felt; Isaiah had downed half of breakfast by himself.

While you prepared dinner, you felt a smile lift your lips. It reminded you of when you had taught Papyrus how to properly prepare spaghetti. You hadn't been the least bit shocked when he had told you Undyne had taught him how to prepare the dish, and you remember thinking about it how it really suited her already violent personality.

You chuckled as you diced the chicken, humming to yourself. The memory had always been one of your favorites. You had told him stories that day, about the cooks you had growing up. That was when Sans had first learned of your home life, and why your family never seemed to be around.

“Birdie?”

You glanced over at Morgan, who had come in and leaned against the counter next to you. “What's up?”

“You seem upset.”

You snorted. You lowered your voice as you spoke, “There's twenty-five of them, Morg. Twenty-five. Simply because Sans and I spent so much time together, and even Papyrus for a while, I'm a...a bond mate to _all_ of them.” You blew out a breath. “How is that even going to work?”

“That's one fuck of an orgy.”

You let out an indignant noise before brandishing the knife at him. He laughed loudly, dodging away from your ire and holding up his hands in surrender. He didn't even apologize as you went back to your dicing, quick and efficient.

“Listen, birdie,” he muttered now. “Take your time. Get to know them all; meet the ones you haven't yet. Maybe you'll like some more than others, you know? Or maybe you'll grow to care for all of them. You won't know unless you open yourself up to the possibilities.”

“...what if I get hurt again?” you finally sighed, putting the chicken in a sizzling pan. “I devoted three years of my life to him, and he tore me apart because of money. _Money_ , Morgan! The one thing he told me he didn't even _care_ about. What if they do the same thing?”

“They have money,” Morgan pointed out, using the spatula you handed him to move the chicken around while you got a pot of water going. “They already have fucking _loads_ of it since they sold all their G when coming to the surface. Or...Sans and Papyrus did, anyway. I don't know about the others.”

“But...”

“Stop.” He switched the burner off and turned the water off. He took you by the shoulders and turned you to face him. He took your chin in his hand and tilted your head up. Your gazes locked. “You're afraid, I know. You're afraid to let them in because you don't wanna be used again. I can dig that, Y/n. But, you can't keep this going. They all really care about you in their own way. Your phone has been buzzing nonstop, and even the others that have my number have been asking about you.”

“They have?”

“Yes, but listen to me,” he said softly, shaking you a little. “Give. Them. A. Chance. Take the leap. You did when you left home, right? To get away from your mother? Then do it with them. Meet the others, and _have fun_.”

You nodded. He released you and the both of you worked in silence, your head on his shoulder as he moved the chicken around. He was right, and you knew it. Deep down, you were terrified to get hurt like that again. You didn't want to think of the boys that way, but you didn't think of him that way either.

You were too scared to take a leap. And maybe Morgan was right. Maybe it was time you said fuck it and just...jumped.

–

The next night found you back at the Silver Ale. You were touching up your makeup as the smell of honey and smoke wafted through. You didn't turn around, instead opting to look at Stretch through the mirror. He looked shocked as you sent him a little smile, before putting the cap back on your eyeliner and turning to face him.

He had to admit, you looked alright. You had left two days ago and since then, everyone in the house had felt the emptiness it had brought. Even Black and Mutt had come by to see when you'd be back. Axe and Crooks had gone over once, only to pick something up from Serif before leaving again.

You looked good in the little dress you wore, some skater number with flower designs set against black fabric. You smiled at him as you opened your arms for a hug. He didn't even need to think about it as he wrapped you up, bringing you close to him as he nuzzled his nasal bone in your hair. He had really missed the way your scent always seemed to flow around the house behind you.

“missed you, honey.”

“Missed you, too, boney.”

He chuckled, setting you down on your feet as Morgan poked his head from around a curtain. He waved to Stretch before regarding you with a grin.

“You ready, birdie?”

“Let's do this!” you laughed, charging out to chase him as he ducked behind the curtain.

Stretch stared at you, eyelights wavering. You hadn't mentioned anything about denying any of them, and you hadn't had any ill intent against them. He wondered what you had spent the weekend doing and immediately stomped the thought down. There was no way you did anything with Morgan or his friends.

Mutt came up beside him, purple smoke billowing from his teeth as he watched you disappear. He hummed, nibbling on the end of the treat he was smoking from before taking another inhale of the special smoke.

“think she's actually ok?” Mutt asked.

Stretch nodded. “of course.” He glanced at Mutt with a little smirk. “she's ours, after all.”

Mutt shared his smirk as they turned to watch you.

You were bopping around with Morgan, singing and twirling. You looked so relaxed up there, the audience utterly captivated by you. You laughed in between songs, and you caught the eyes of the other skeletons there. You gave them, all smiles and waved and a few patrons turned to look at who held your attention.

The next song, you could feel reverberate through your body as you let out another little laugh, chugging half the bottle of water near your feet before capping it and turning back to the mic.

_**(Morgan)** "Wide awake, my mistake, so predictable_  
_You were fake, I was great, nothing personal_  
_I'm walking, who's laughing now?_  
_**(You)** (Who's laughing, who's laughing now?)_

_**(Morgan)** “I'm wasted, wasting time_  
_You talk for hours but you're wasting lines_  
_A pretty face but the chase ain't worth the prize_

_**(Both)** “I'm gonna break your little heart_  
_Watch you take the fall_  
_Laughing all the way to the hospital_  
_'Cause there's nothing surgery can do_  
_When I break your little heart in two_  
_I'm gonna break your little heart in two_

_**(You)** “A party queen, cause a scene, so ridiculous_  
_Little dress, maybe less, so conspicuous_  
_You're falling, who's crashing now?_  
_**(Morgan)** (Who's crashing, who's crashing now?)_

_**(You)** “I'm wasted, wasting time_  
_I'm moving on but you're left behind_  
_A pretty face but the chase ain't worth the prize_

_**(Both)** “I'm gonna break your little heart_  
_Watch you take the fall_  
_Laughing all the way to the hospital_  
_'Cause there's nothing surgery can do.”_

You moved around to the song, tapping your foot and singing into the mic with all you had. Morgan was right along with you. Isaiah was pounding away at the drums with so much fervor, and you were proud that Terrence was keeping up; he had originally thought he'd fail this song. But he was doing stupendous as you all poured your heart into the song that was meant for all of your ex's.

Including Daisy, who was sitting in the audience with her friends. You nudged Morgan slightly so you didn't mess up and pointed her out with your head. A grin split his face and he chuckled, going back to his guitar as you pranced back to your spot on the stage.

_**(Morgan)** “I'm gonna break your little heart_  
_Show you to the door_  
_Sew yourself shut and now you're begging for more_  
_'Cause there's nothing surgery can do_  
_When I break your little heart in two_

_**(Both)** “Don't be so sentimental, no_  
_This is love is accidental, so_  
_Give it up, this was never meant to be_  
_More than a memory for you_

_**(You)** “I'm gonna break your little heart_  
_Watch you take the fall_  
_Laughing all the way to the hospital_  
_'Cause there's nothing surgery can do_  
_**(Morgan)** (When I break your little heart in two)_

_**(Morgan)** “I'm gonna break your little heart_  
_Show you to the door_  
_Sew yourself shut, now you're begging for more_  
_'Cause there's nothing surgery can do_  
_**(Both)** When I break your little heart in two.”_

The final chord struck and Morgan went for his own mic, pointing a half gloved hand in Daisy's direction. “This is for that bitch who thought she had me in her nasty little claws! Good riddance, bitch!”

Laughter erupted all around and you had to step away from the mic as your let out a bark of laughter. You watched as her face flushed red and her friends shot her a glare before one even got up to walk away. You moved back to the mic and waved your hand around you, indicating the boys around you. Another round of applause lit up the bar as the other two adjusted themselves and got ready for the next number. Your song. You grinned and nodded, listening to the song start up.

“ _No sir, well I don't wanna be the blame, not anymore._  
_It's your turn, so take a seat we're settling the final score._  
_And why do we like to hurt so much?_

_“I can't decide_  
_You have made it harder just to go on_  
_And why, all the possibilities well I was wrong_

_“That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._  
_That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._  
_I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating._  
_And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.”_

What do you get when you let your heart win? Your eyes glanced over to the table that held the skeletons and noticed that there were a few more faces there. Axe and Crooks were in a corner table with Sans and Red. You grinned and wrapped both hands around the mic as you sang.

_“I wonder, how am I supposed to feel when you're not here._  
_Cause I burned every bridge I ever built when you were here._  
_I still try holding onto silly things, I never learn._  
_Oh why, all the possibilities I'm sure you've heard._

_“That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._  
_That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._  
_I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating (beating)_  
_And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa._

_“Pain make your way to me, to me._  
_And I'll always be just so inviting._  
_If I ever start to think straight,_  
_This heart will start a riot in me,_  
_Let's start, start, hey!”_

If you let your heart win, just maybe you could love one of these skeletons who had made their intentions known. You needed to differentiate the difference with them and your ex. Give them all their own chances. They weren't him, they were them. They were better, and they were different. You felt your heart racing, your hands growing clammy as you clutched the mic.

“ _Why do we like to hurt so much?  
Oh why do we like to hurt so much? _

“ _That's what you get when you let your heart win!  
Whoa. _

“ _That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.  
That's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa. _

“ _Now I can't trust myself with anything but this,  
And that's what you get when you let your heart win, whoa.”_

The song closed and another round of applause deafened you. You gave a little curtsy, holding the sides of your dress's skirt and you bent your knees and dipped a bit. There were a few chuckles and you made your way off stage with the boys, running nose to sternum with Edge.

Christ on a shingle, you really needed to stop that.

“I SEE YOU'RE DOING BETTER,” he said, instead of saying hello like a normal person.

“Ah, getting there,” you laughed a little, rubbing your arm. It was a little chilly now that you weren't on the stage. “You guys going up soon?”

He nodded, watching as the goosebumps rose on your arms. He held up a gloved finger and made his way over to a chair. He picked up a leather jacket from there, before placing it around your shoulders. You blinked while he adjusted it, muttering under his breath before straightening.

“I EXPECT THAT BACK BEFORE WE HEAD HOME!” he said, his face flushed a deep blood orange. He avoided eye contact with you as he made his way past you.

Tsundere motherfucker.

You chuckled, pulling the jacket around you tighter as you saw Mutt and Stretch pass by you. Each one gave you a pat on your head before making their way to the stage. You left, heading over to the table to see Axe and Crooks. Your grin widened when Crooks stood up and held his arms out for you.

“Hey!” you squealed, wrapping your arms around him. “You came!”

“THE GREAT CROOKS WOULD NEVER MISS YOUR SHOW!” he proclaimed, posing dramatically.

You chuckled as another arm snaked around your shoulders, avoiding the spikes on Edge's jacket. You looked over to see Red grinning down at you, his golden tooth flashing at you. You smiled up at him.

“ain't runnin' away, 're ya?” he asked, leading you to a seat.

“Nah, you can't run me off that easily,” you teased, sitting and throwing your legs up into his lap. “At least, not yet.”

You laughed when he flicked your leg. You turned to Sans, who had yet to say anything. He only looked at you from the corner of his socket. You sighed, moving and taking his hand in yours. You ran your thumb over his metacarpals, humming for a second.

“I'm not mad,” you promised quietly. “We'll figure things out as we go, yeah?”

He seemed to relax, nodding and squeezing your hand a little bit. You smiled as the boys on stage started their numbers.

You really loved listening to Stretch's voice. Mutt and Edge even piped in every now and then, and their voices ran over you like honey. You were aware of Sans's hand in yours, Red's hands rubbing and kneading the skin of your legs and calves. You felt yourself melting under their touches.

Stretch grinned and you watched as Mutt chuckled, taking a small chomp of a dog treat before strumming his guitar softly. With that, Stretch leaned into the mic, his grin widening ever so slightly.

_**(Stretch)** “Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know you don't want it any other way_

_**(Mutt)** “Why do we always gotta run away?_  
_And we wind up in the same place_  
_It's like we're looking for the same thing_  
_Same thing, yeah_  
_**(Both)** Yeah, do we really gotta do this now?_  
_Right here with all your friends around_  
_In the morning, we can work it out_  
_Work it out_

_**(Stretch)** “I love you so much that I hate you_  
_Right now, it's so hard to blame you_  
_'Cause you're so damn beautiful_  
_You're so damn beautiful_

_**(Both)** “Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know that you're always gonna stay the same_  
_Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know you don't want it any other way.”_

Their voices worked so well together, and you watched as they each did their own little sways in time with their notes and the song. You chuckled, your eyes flicking over to the other table. Blackberry was leaning back in his seat, one elbow resting on the back of the chair, one leg crossed over the other. He looked over at you, and his grin turned into a smirk.

Your face flushed and you stuck your tongue out at the little tyrant before you looked back to the stage, bopping along with song.

_“Every time that you say you're gonna leave_  
_That's when you get the very best of me_  
_You know we need it like the air we breathe_  
_Air we breathe, yeah_

_“I love you so much that I hate you_

_**(Mutt)** (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)  
Right now, it's so hard to blame you _

_**(Mutt)** (Oh)  
'Cause you're so damn beautiful _

_**(Mutt)** (Oh)  
You're so damn beautiful_

_**(Mutt)** (Oh-oh, oh-oh) _

_**(Both)** “Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know that you're always gonna stay the same_  
_**(Stretch)** Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh_

_**(Mutt)** (I don't wanna know)_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know you don't want it any other way_

_“The hardest part of all_  
_**(Mutt)** (Da-da-da-dum-da-da)_  
_Is that we're only built to fall_  
_**(Mutt)** (Is it any easier?).”_

You grinned when Mutt winked at you, and when Stretch caught your gaze for a moment. You flushed with the attention. You weren't sure you would ever get used to it, but you were willing to try to see where things could go with these guys.

Part of you was excited, and the other part was anxious as you tried to figure out how things could potentially work out with so many of them after you. You decided to shove that off for another day.

_**(Both)** “Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_  
_I don't wanna know, oh (Oh-oh)_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know that you're always gonna stay the same (Is it easier?)_  
_**(Stretch)** Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?_

_**(Mutt)** (Yeah)  
I don't wanna know, oh _

_**(Mutt)** (Oh)_  
_But I know that I'm never, ever gonna change_  
_And you know you don't want it any other way.”_

_“I love you so much that I hate you_

_**(Mutt)** (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_Right now, it's so hard to blame you_  
_**(Both)** 'Cause you're so damn beautiful.”_

You slapped your hand against your thigh as you applauded, the boys grinning and bowing as Edge stiffly made his way off stage. You had forgotten you were wearing his coat, the smell of cinnamon invading your senses as you took in a deep breath. Honestly, it really suit him and you chuckled as he came over and sat beside Red.

The rest of the night was spent drinking and laughing, holding hands with the different boys and trying to deny anymore drinks. You were heading to work and had school in the morning, so you needed to do your best to stay sober. But that didn't move any of them as they drank and enjoyed your company.

That night, you went home with the boys, one hand in Serif's and the other in Axe's. You were happy. You were content.

You were willing to give it a shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Boys: who the fuck is morgan  
> Morgan: *holds MC's hand with a smug grin*  
> All Boys: inconcEIVABLE
> 
> _sidenote: I was watching The Princess Bride earlier. can you tell?_


	18. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get bad news.  
> You meet two more of the boys!  
> Something sends the boys into a pseudo heat.  
> You get to spend some time with Sin and Pink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Its five am and I don't even know why it took so long for me to edit this chapter.  
> Oh yeah, that's right. Because I'm sitting here jamming out to music while I do this and tend to get sidetracked. Oopsie.
> 
> So, now we're hitting this arc, and it's gonna be a bit of one. Then the next arc, Thanksgiving, is going to be when you officially meet Reads family. I'm not even ready to write that shit, man. TmT
> 
> Enjoy, and see y'all next week! <3
> 
>  **Introducing:**  
>  **Human Swap Sans:** Tiny  
>  **Human Swap Papyrus:** Rus
> 
> _Edit: I tried to have this make sense without getting rid of too much, or anything. If it doesn't make sense, I tried. I will go through again if I have to._

“What...?”

The next day, Monday, you had rolled out of bed and managed to make it to class without missing anything. Your teacher had pulled you aside and asked about what happened on the zoo trip. When you told her everything, she had looked distraught, her hand running through her hair as she promised that something would be done.

You tried explaining that it was okay, and the police and your friends had handled it, but it wasn't enough. You knew the guilt was eating at her, and it wasn't even her fault. It was, sadly, the school, for not checking backgrounds before allowing that thing into a classroom and on a trip with a bunch of female students.

You shook your head and class continued. You diligently gave her your findings with Gareth, who had also made sure you were doing okay. He offered to walk you to work, so long as Edge wasn't around. You chuckled and shook your head, letting him know you would be fine on your own.

Now you wished you had brought him here just to hear the bullshit your manager was spewing at you.

Her new diamond earrings – that you knew for a _fact_ she couldn't afford – winked at you in the light as she shifted under your dumbfounded stare. You stood frozen in your spot, a small ringing in your ears as she said everything she just told you once more.

She was letting you go. There were too many people to schedule, and you were one of the newer people. You listened to her stuttered rambling for a while, your now ex coworkers glaring at her back as she talked. You could feel their contempt for her rolling from them in waves, and you could feel bile rising in the back of your throat as she held a hand out for your apron.

You handed it to her, numb. You felt tears stinging your eyes, but you weren't going to cry. You couldn't cry. Not in front of these people. Not in front of this person who decided bribery and money was worth more than an actual hard worker. Instead of saying anything or even accepting her apology, you turned on your heel and left the store, your back ramrod straight.

Once you left the building, you ran for the nearest park. Your feet carried you, and you could feel the sting on your feet as they pounded the pavement. You really thought you were going to puke, acid sitting in the back of your throat like a mockery.

Once you made it to the park, you collapsed on a bench, the tears having finally fallen and stinging your cheeks against the cold air. You covered your face with your sleeve and let out a tiny sob, tugging your bottom lip between your teeth so you didn't make too much noise.

It wasn't fair. You were a hard worker, a _good_ worker. You did your damn job, even if it killed you to be nice to the rudest people in that fucking store. You made sure that store was stocked, and you made sure everything was done correctly.

And here comes your fucking mother, throwing your dad's money around like it was nothing. He had worked too damn hard for this for her to use it to bribe your employers to fire you, or to throw away on something as stupid as a villa she never even visited. The house was something your dad and you had talked about, had bought it so you could live without worrying too much. You had only left when you were kicked out so Morgan and Cayden would have somewhere to stay! But once they made it known they weren't staying, you took the deed with you, waiting for the right moment to rip the rug out from under Daisy's stupid feet.

It was one of the few things you allowed him to do for you. A “going away present for his Little Queen”, as he had said. The memory made your heart clench.

You had only left when you were kicked out so Morgan and Cayden would have somewhere to stay! But once they made it known they weren't staying, you took the deed with you, waiting for the right moment to rip the rug out from under Daisy's stupid feet. You knew she would come for it at some point; your mother and that bitch got along so well, you knew it was bound to happen. And how right you had been.

You were tired of this. You were tired of having to live under her thumb, even so far away. Even when you were trying to make your own goddamn way. She always seemed to be one step ahead, and you knew it was only because of the money.

You didn't understand what your dad saw in her.

“you okay, buddy?”

You squeaked, sitting up quickly and wiping your eyes. You didn't recognize the voice, but when you looked up, you recognized who it belonged to. It was the human version of Stretch, and he was leaning over you curiously, a smoke dangling from his lips. It was weird seeing what Stretch would look like as a human.

A hand came up and took the cigarette from his mouth, orange eyes studying you. You could see a shock of white hair poking out from underneath the beanie he wore, a few strands orange as they blew in the chilly breeze. Even the stubble on his face looked white, and you held back a smile at how similar he looked to his picture, minus the puffy orange coat he wore to ward off the winter chill.

“Ah, yeah, sorry. I'm alright,” you said, sniffling.

He grinned, sitting down next to you. He took a drag of his smoke and blew it away from you. “you must be y/n. heard buddy and guy talkin' about ya.”

You chuckled, tugging your coat tighter around yourself. “Yeah, that's me. You are?”

“rus. like you don't already know.” He sent you a smirk and you scoffed.

“I mean, fair point.” You shrugged now, smiling as your breath fogged up in front of you. “Was wondering when I would get to meet you.”

He snorted, tossing the burnt out smoke onto one of the ashtrays that was on top of a trash can. “not for a lack of tryin'. tiny's been damn near foamin' at the mouth to meet you himself.” He chuckled as he pulled out a pack of reds. “we just got back from travelin', so he'll be on his way over to see blue now, i'm guessin'.”

“Oh? Where did you go?”

“london.”

You grinned. “You went to visit a bunch of pompous tea drinkers?”

He cackled, lighting up his smoke before blowing it out. He was a lot like Stretch, chill and relaxed. You couldn't help but wonder if he was close to his skeletal counterpart like Red was with Buddy and Edge with Chief. You hadn't really seen Paps and Guy hanging out with Sans and Papyrus, but maybe they had their own reasons.

Maybe Sans was nosy and trying to get something from Guy about their timeline.

Hah, nosy.

“what's so funny?”

You relayed the story of your first day in the house with the skeletons, how Stretch had hit you the “no nose” line. He laughed, even when you told him Red had done the same thing hours later. He slapped his knee, the noise of skin on skin contact almost foreign to your ears. You had been with those skeletons way too long.

It really brought back just how long you had been with them. Sure, it didn't seem so long. But thinking back, a lot has happened. You smiled to yourself as you continued talking to Rus, your hands waving in the air and your voice lowering to imitate the others in the house. He laughed and chuckled, telling you his own tales of when he first showed up in the timeline.

You blinked. “Wait, you mean, you all didn't just...drop in at once?”

Rus shook his head, hands shoved in his pockets as he chewed on a sucker stem. “nah. i couldn't imagine how that would go.”

“So...everyone coming here was gradual?”

“yup. might even be more who pop in; we have no clue.”

You groaned at that, to which he chuckled. You glanced at your phone and nearly choked on your spit when you realized you had been out here, sitting on a cold bench talking to Rus for _three hours_. Holy shit, time flew by.

“i'll walk back with ya,” Rus said, standing and stretching his arms over his head. “gotta grab tiny anyway.”

You silently thanked him for coming with and the two of you began the trek to the house. He told you about Tiny, and it made you think of Blue. You smiled and laughed, bumping into him when he made a really bad pun here and there. You didn't even realize you had managed to make it to the house and you quickly stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind Rus as heads began poking out from different rooms.

“sweets? thought you had work today?” Serif asked, coming from the living room.

You felt yourself deflate and looked away from the curious gazes as you fidgeted. “I...they let me go...”

“WHAT?”

“MUFFIN, WHY?”

“are ya fuckin' serious?”

“so that's why you were mopin' in the park.”

All eyelights snapped to Rus, who was taking his coat off and hanging it on the rack next to the door. You did the same, standing on your tip toes to try and get it on the rung. Rus chuckled and helped you as a new voice joined in.

“Rus! I Thought You Were Going To Be Here Sooner! You're Three Hours Late!" 

You looked over to see Tiny, his white hair ruffled and his cheeks pink. Bright, cyan doe eyes looked at you and a grin split his face now. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue polo, the hem tucked into his pants. And of course, the classic bandanna, gloves and boots of the Papyrus personalities.

You smiled at him as Rus came up behind you and leaned on you, his arms using your head as an arm rest. You let out a grunt.

“sorry, bro. saw our buddy here upset and got to talkin',” he drawled lazily, chuckling at your efforts to remove his arm.

“Oh No! New Friend, Why Were You Upset?”

“hold on, hold on,” Sans interrupted, waving his hands in the air. His eyelights fell on you. “what do you mean they let you go?”

You fidgeted under their stares, wringing the end of your sweater in your hands as you looked at the ground. You hated this. You weren't going to be able to leave, and you were going to continue being a burden on them. You felt your heart clench as tears stung your eyes again.

With a sniffle, you murmured. “My...mom...”

Sans snarled, shocking not only you, but all the skeletons and the two humans within earshot. He came up to you and wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you to him. You wrapped your arms around his frame, burying your face into the hood of his hoodie and shaking a little as you tried to fight back the tears.

You could hear Sans giving them all a small rundown on your tumultuous relationship with your mother. You didn't look up to gauge any reactions, but you could feel the chill in the air as their emotions all took one hell of a turn.

“SO WHAT DO WE DO THEN?” Edge demanded. “THIS WOMAN IS OBVIOUSLY A CUNT.”

You choked on a laugh, trying to hide it under the guise of a cough. How many times had you said that to yourself on your ramblings to your dad and grandmother?

“THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO!” Blue spoke up. He had been rubbing your back absently. “Y/N HAS TO FACE HER ON HER OWN.”

“maybe a couple of us could go with her?” Serif suggested from behind you. “like, this way if she needs a quick escape...”

“COME ON NOW,” Tango admonished. “MAYBE SHE SHOULD CONFRONT HER IN A CALM AND NICE MANNER. THEY COULD MAKE UP AFTER!”

You wished.

“i don't think that's happenin' anytime soon,” Rus mused.

“how about you ask the one is actually effects?” Stretch grumbled.

“y/n?”

You didn't move from Sans's hold on you, your grip in his hoodie tightening as you tried to burrow closer. Something inside of you didn't want to answer, didn't want to admit that your mother had really gone out of her way to ruin your job. You don't know what else was told, after all. Maybe she had just given your old manager a few pieces of jewelry.

But you knew how hard she had been struggling. Raising three kids on your own with no support anywhere was hard to do for just one woman. Especially if you just wanted what was best for them, to send them to the good schools and get them proper education.

It pained you.

When you did look up, you took a moment to blink away the bright colors that followed. Once you gathered your bearings, you took a small step away from Sans, but kept one hand firmly gripped into his hoodie. All of them watched you curiously as you twisted your other hand in the bottom of the sweater.

“I'm going over for Thanksgiving. I'll be talking to her then,” you sighed.

“take one of us with you,” Serif said, leaning against the wall. “if she's so worried you're going to die while in our care, we can show her just how _great_ you're doing.”

“heh, 'll volunteer,” Red chuckled, grinning widely.

“You'll terrify her,” you laughed, your voice weak. “It'll have to be one of less terrifying brother duos.”

“WHAT'S GOING ON?”

You turned to see Blackberry entering the house, Mutt behind him. You noticed the leash that Black held in his hand and your brain fried, going down a _very perverted_ track. You had to yank on the brake so it stopped before it could even start. Axe and Crooks waved from behind them, the taller of the two grinning and carrying something.

“Y/n Is Having Family Issues!” Tiny said, his voice slightly distraught. “And We Want To Help!”

“heh, you're the coolest, bro.” Rus's chuckle was raspy, smoky.

“I Know!”

“LET'S ALL GO SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM!” Papyrus suggested. “GET Y/N OFF HER FEET SO SHE CAN RELAX.”

Everyone moved into the room, Sans, sitting next to you and Black claiming your other side. Mutt sat on the floor by his feet, one leg pulled against his chest and the other stretched out as a dog treat twirled around his phalanges. Axe and Crooks sat next to Stretch and Blue, both of whom eyed the pair a little warily before just accepting it. The others made their way around the room, and you watched as Red turned on the TV and turned on the console, grabbing both controllers.

But instead of handing one of them to Serif or Stretch, he came over and handed it to you. You looked up at him, blinking in mild surprise. He shrugged and laid it on your lap, turning back and heading to drag his red beanbag chair from the corner of the room and plop it in the middle of the floor before sitting in it himself.

You picked up the controller, turning it on and noting he had actually given you the one he usually uses, only noted by the rough usage from his claws. You smiled a little and waited for him to start up the game, watching as he clicked over to zombies. You let out a little screech of happiness that you hoped no one picked up on.

“so what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” Sans asked Black over your head as the round started.

“CROOKS SAID HE WANTED TO STOP BY FOR SOMETHING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO MY PET ABOUT WHEN SHE PLANS ON COMING OVER FOR OUR LUNCH DATE!” Black said, his eyes on the screen as you and Red knifed zombies through the first round.

“It'll have to wait until after Wednesday,” you said absently. You didn't see Stretch's shit eating grin, which Black did catch. “I'm going out with Stretch, so pick a day after that, and we'll be golden.”

The short tyrant sneered at Stretch who shrugged and turned back to watching you and Red play. Crooks got up from his spot and came around the back of the couch to hand Sans the plate he carried. The smell of cookies wafted through the air when the tin foil was lifted off, and you felt a smile tug at your lips.

“I MADE THEM FOR...FOR COOKIE!” Crooks said, wringing his hands. “I WANTED TO THANK HER FOR SPENDING TIME WITH MY BROTHER AND I SO...I MADE HER SOME MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES!”

You grinned, eyes not leaving the screen as a small, satisfied hum left your throat. “Thanks, Crooks. I appreciate it.” You chanced a little look over at him before returning to the screen when Red cursed.

That's how the rest of your afternoon was spent. They all took turns shooting zombies with you, screaming at the TV and cursing up a storm. You laughed and cursed yourself, often bending forward without even realizing you were doing it. Even some of the louder skeletons joined in. Black had been the funniest, boasting to all how fantastic he was...and then dying within the first two seconds.

You didn't comment as you helped him back up, but he did listen to you more and made sure to know where you were at during the higher levels. Tango had actually been the better of the louder bunch, and you could imagine a tangerine colored tongue poking from between his teeth as he concentrated on not dying. The others were pretty good, and you made sure Crooks even got a turn in before he and Axe had to leave.

The others got up to go make dinner, and at some point, you had crawled on the floor to sit next to Red while you two went back to getting the zombies. You didn't make a single noise as you felt a pair of hands grip your waist, trying not to jostle you too much as you were sat on a lap, the smell of barbecue sauce and hickory swarming you.

You stayed in Mutt's lap, Red and you cursing as you were both almost overran by a horde. You were biting your lip in concentration and your brows were furrowed, eyes narrowed at the screen. Your shoulders were hunched and you could feel Mutt's hand rubbing circles into your shoulder blades.

On wave fifty-two, you both finally dropped. Red cursed loudly and threw the controller into the carpet as Papyrus came in to announce dinner.

“WILL YOU BE STAYING FOR DINNER, BLACK?” he asked.

“I THINK I WILL,” the shorter one said, his eye lights roaming over your form melting at Mutt's touch.

You groaned as Mutt worked out a particularly nasty kink in the middle of your back. You had been trying to get that part to pop for the longest time, but it always avoided you. When dinner was announced, you went to stand, but squeaked as you felt yourself being moved. He tucked you under his arm, carrying you like a sack of potatoes as he made his way into the dining room. You were too shocked to even say anything.

He pulled out your chair with his magic before setting you down in it, pushing it in before taking the seat next to you. You opened and closed your mouth, still blinking in confusion. He had just picked you up and carried you like a sack of potatoes. You didn't know whether to say thank you, or to retort that you had two working legs.

Well, shit.

Instead, Papyrus and Blue came out quickly, divvying out portions of food for everyone while Edge came in with different cups of stuff and the boys' condiments. You crinkled your nose as each one gave a hearty drink of their preferred one, playfully gagging. They each shot you a playful glare as their brothers nodded in agreement to your playfulness.

Dinner was amazing, and you felt the bad news of the day slowly creep out of your mind. Sure, you were sad. You had really enjoyed that job, and had really liked and respected your manager. But you felt like you had been stabbed in the back, and you wouldn't get over that. But, you were too determined to give up just because of that set back.

You also got to learn more about Rus and Tiny. It turned out that while he didn't actually drink the condiment, he loved honey in and on just about everything he could do it with. You were lucky you were the only one who caught Rus's lewd wink, your face flushing pink as you stammered out an answer to something Tiny had asked you.

Tiny and Blue were definitely excitable, and when Rus agreed they could stay over, they both damn near rocketed out of their chairs and headed for the stairs, the other loud skeletons chasing them minus Black and Mutt, who both slowly made their way up, talking to themselves.

You chuckled as the others shook their heads, beginning to talk among themselves about stuff you had no interest in. You hummed as you gathered all the remaining dishes, making at least three trips back and forth to the kitchen.

You started washing them, nodding your head and tapping your foot to a beat in your head. You smiled and hummed along, not noticing each of their eyelights on you or the way Rus stared you down with those orange eyes, watching as you worked in the kitchen. You didn't notice the way their eyes trailed to the sway of your hips or the way your fingers moved over the plates and cups and bowls.

Serif ripped his stare away first, grunting. “heat's are coming up,” he said. “what are we gonna do about y/n?”

“i say we keep 'er 'ere,” Red purred, his eyelights flashing. “i'd love t' see what kinda freak sh' 's.”

Sans rolled his eyes, shaking his skull. “no way. maybe if it was one or two of us, but with a house full, plus the ones nearby?” He snorted. “definitely not happening.”

“yer no fun, 'nilla.”

Mutt's amber eyelights trailed back to you. “maybe she can stay with sin and pink. or at their house.”

“might be a good idea,” Stretch rumbled. “heats don't affect them since theirs is constant, so it would be safer with them than with us.”

“but how are we going to make the others back off of her?” Sans sighed.

“i'm sure sin and pink can mask her scent,” Rus huffed, sounding displeased. “you just have to get her out of here before...”

They all stopped Rus, stilling as a powerful smell washed over them. The smell of peaches and hazelnut filled the room and all eyelights shot to you. Rus's gaze even followed as he felt his own hormones begin to skyrocket. They just now noticed you had stopped humming and you were looking at your phone. You let out a silent curse and pocketed your phone, taking in a deep breath.

You came back into the room with a slightly forced smile on your face. “I'll be right back, boys.”

As you passed, Red made a grab for you, Sans's magic encasing his hand and making it thud heavily on the table. You didn't notice, or didn't care, as you raced up the stairs. They were all quiet, even as a door opened and another closed. There was a pause before the pounding of feet greeted them and Red was out of his chair as Tiny and Blue came down first.

Both of their faces were flushed and Blue climbed into Stretch's lap. “PAPY, WHAT WAS THAT...THAT SMELL?”

“I Think That Was Y/n,” Tiny said quietly. He tugged on Rus's orange and black hoodie. “But We're Not Monsters; How Come It's Affecting Us?”

“probably cause she's our bond mate too, bro,” Rus muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “shit.”

“fuck. that was...holy shit.”

The rest of the loud bunch came into the dining room as tension filled the air. They all eyed each other and Red looked ready to bolt the second no one was paying attention. That smell, Sans had vaguely smelled it before. Usually when you were...ovulating.

Crap. This could mess with their schedules. This could put you in danger. Why hadn't they felt it before?

“we need to get her out of here,” Serif said, grounding his teeth together. “before someone does something they'll regret.”

“I AGREE,” Edge said, his face tinted blood orange. “RED, ROOM. NOW.”

When he didn't say anything, everyone looked to the now empty spot where Red had been only seconds ago. If bones could pale like Rus's and Tiny's skin did, every single one of them would be a ghost. In a scramble, the sounds of chairs crashing against the floor and growling erupted from all around. It was a race now, and none of them wanted to lose.

You let the hot water run down your body as you soaked in the shower. You had started ovulating early, and you cursed yourself silently as you smacked your forehead. How could you have lost track of time? You were always on top of it, and you needed to go out and restock on tampons.

You groaned as you lathered your hair and body. You knew you couldn't keep _constant_ track of it; you were a human and your cycle could change at any given time. Your cycle had relatively been the same for years, though; the fact you had lost track made you want to smack yourself. You had always made sure so you were always stocked and ready for when the hell came through.

You turned off the water as a series of pounding and growls sounded around the house. Your hair stood on end, and you paused before touching the curtain. What the hell...?

“kitten~”

You gasped, Red's voice close to the shower. You didn't see him, but you could smell something in the air. Heady. Cherries, mustard, something akin to bonfire smoke lighting up the air around you. It smelled good. You threw open the curtain, but found no one there. You took in a shaky breath and grabbed for your towel, wrapping it around your hair before grabbing the other, wrapping yourself up.

The moment you stepped out of the steamy bathroom, you stopped. Something felt wrong, off even. It was too quiet in the house, and you could still hear faint growling around the house. You ran to your door to lock it, pressing your back against it as your heart hammered in your ears.

A bunch of smells assailed you at once and you felt yourself gasping, you skin flushing from more than just the heat from the shower now. Something was going on, and you tried to think if you and Sans had ever had a conversation that involved this craziness before.

You knew as a boss monster, he went into heat about every four months. He usually stayed away from you, locking himself in his house and texting you every now and then to let you know he was okay. But he hadn't mentioned anything else about it. Maybe you should have brought that up with him since it came to light you were their bond mate.

There was a smash against your bedroom door and a snarl. You shrieked, throwing yourself away from it as another thump sounded. You shook, tightening your towel around you tighter.

“you can hide, brat, but 'll find you.”

Mutt's seductive growl had you clenching your thighs together, inhaling a sharp breath. Something about his voice set your nerves on fire, and you took in a deep breath while counting to ten in your head. You blew out the breath and crept your way over to the dresser, quickly pulling out clothes while glancing over at the door.

You were pretty sure you locked it, but you sped for the bathroom anyway, closing and locking the door quickly. You quickly dressed and dried your hair the best you could, yanking out knots while you tried your best to listen for sounds in your room.

You didn't hear anything, so you unlocked the door and made your way out to your room. Still nothing, but the smells were still lingering. Your hormones were in overdrive, and you grabbed your wallet and phone, snagging your headphones. Once you made your way to the door, you paused, listening.

There was nothing except your heavy breathing and you slowly opened the door. You looked both ways before leaving, slowly trying to keep yourself quiet and stay on your tip toes.

You had a bad feeling these boys were exuding signs of their heat, which meant you could be in trouble. You made it to the stairs and moved to walk down until some grabbed your arm roughly, yanking you back and slamming you against the wall.

You gasped, looking up into red eyelights as the smell of cinnamon and pine wrapped itself around you.

“Edge?”

“Caught You.”

Oh, shit. Lowered voice. His voice came out a growl, and he pressed against you, his sharp teeth grazing your jaw. You held your breath, your heart hammering in your ears. His smell was intoxicating, and you stifled a moan as something wet slid up the side of your neck. You felt Edge's ribs vibrate as he growled against you.

“edge, let her go.”

You looked over to see Stretch standing there, hands in his one pocket as a cigarette dangled from his teeth. You felt Edge press closer to you and you were unable to contain the groan that slipped past your lips. Stretch's eyes snapped to you for a split second before he looked at the taller monster running his hands over your sides.

“edge. i mean it. now.”

Edge pushed himself away from you, snarling in the back of his nonexistent throat. You pushed off the wall and ran downstairs, your face flushed. You didn't even thank Stretch as you ran down the stairs and turned the corner.

“there ya are.”

Your blood ran cold and hot all at once as Mutt came around the corner of the dining room. His gold tooth glinted at you, and you saw his amber eyelights flare before taking a step for you. You took a step back, holding up a hand.

“Mutt, no.”

“what's wrong, brat? scared?” he purred, his voice low and gravelly.

“Maybe I Would Be More Her Style.”

You squeaked and jumped away, crashing into one of the random tables they had around in the hallways. Blue was behind you, fidgeting. His face was flushed with blue magic and you watched as he wrung his hands together.

“C-Could You Come To My Room With Me?” he asked, his voice quiet. “I W-Won't Do Anything! I...I Think My Lamp Broke.”

“not today, blue.”

You watched as Stretch once more came to your rescue, his face flushed orange as he picked his brother up and hauled him away, with said small skeleton yelling and hitting his brother's back. You were actually concerned for a moment before a pair of red gloves wrapped around your waist. The smell of blackberries and sage surrounded you, accompanied by hickory and barbecue sauce.

“My Queen,” Black purred, his thumb running over your stomach. “Why Don't You Come Back To The House With Mutt And I? I'm Sure We Can Prove To You We Have The Equipment To Work With.”

_He was referencing your trip to the mall..._

Your hormones skyrocketed again, and Mutt came into your field of vision, leaning down and brushing your cheek with his teeth. He kept his hands in his pockets and you gripped the bottom of your shirt, your mind hazy as you could only think that maybe...just maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

_No!_

You managed to get yourself out of Black's grasp before making a beeline away from them, power walking for the front door. You hadn't seen Sans, Tango, Serif or Papyrus. Hell, it looked like even Tiny and Rus were still there, but just in hiding. You damn near threw yourself outside before taking off, heading for the store.

Halfway there, you slowed to a walk before stopping entirely, bending so your hands were on your knees. You panted, sweat dotting your forehead and your back as you tried to just think of _what the fuck just happened_.

You tried to think as you straightened, picking up traces of their smells all around you. You looked around you, but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. You pulled your phone from your back pocket and quickly opened it, bringing up Stretch's contact and messages.

**You:** Thanks for helping. Is Blue going to be okay? Are ANY of you going to be okay?

You placed it back in your pocket and blew out a breath. Your hair was a mess again, and you did your best with your fingers as you tried to untangle it again and huffed. Just grab what you need and go. Then head back to the house and hide until everyone got themselves under control.

You were really going to have to ask them about that.

You made it to the store and noticed that some of the monsters within it made their leave. You blushed, feeling kind of bad but forgoing it just so you could grab your tampons and go. You really didn't want to be there to begin with and you just wanted to go home and mope the rest of the night.

You heard your phone go off and pulled it out. A slew of text messages came through and you sighed, paying for your stuff before heading back out the door, taking a seat at the bench and unlocking your phone.

**Tyrant:** Come Back, My Queen. I Promise That Mutt And I Will Take Good Care Of You.

 **PuppyRus:** get back here, brat. i have no qualms about chasing you.

 **Tiny Captain:** I'M SO SORRY, MUFFIN! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

 **BigRed:** cum back, kitten. thinkin we could have lots o fun. ;)

 **Captain PainInTheAss:** I Suggest Coming Back Here Before I Make Your Punishment Worse, Little Bunny.

 **Honeypot:** no problem, honey. if he ever does that and he seems he's in heat, don't go in his room. and we'll be fine.

 **SANSational:** call sin.

You stared at Sans's message before closing out of all the messages. You pulled up your phone and scrolled for his name in your phone. You clicked on it once you found it, holding it to your ear while your leg bounced in place.

“oh, cutie~!” Sin's voice was like...well, his namesake, in your ear. “are you okay?”

“I-I'm fine,” you managed to get out, your eyes scouring the streets around you. “The boys. Ah, they...”

Sin tutted over the phone. “let me guess; something to do with your woman time?”

You blinked, straightening. “You know?”

“sans called me the second the boys went rampant. he was about to find you when you bolted from the house.” Sin giggled. “where are you? i'll come to you.”

You let him know where you were before you both hung up. Not even two seconds later, you could feel static in the air before Sin was standing next to you. He was wearing a pair of faded black jeans with a few well placed holes and a pair of sneakers. His vest was still there, blue fluff and all, and there was a black shirt under it. You smiled at him.

“Hey, Sin,” you murmured.

He bent down and placed his half gloved hand against your forehead. He frowned, moving his hands to run through your still damp hair. “you alright, cutie? you seem a little pale.”

“I'm alright,” you assured him. “It's probably just...well, you know. I just...can we go? I'm ready to collapse.”

He chuckled. “i'll explain everything. c'mon, i think pink is making something for dinner as we speak.”

You chuckled and took his hand as your phone started ringing. You glanced down at it before groaning. Black's caller ID and his photo came up with some random heavy metal ringtone you found that you thought suited him. Edge had something similar, and you hesitated.

“i wouldn't answer that if i was you,” Sin sang lightly, plucking your phone from your hand. “in fact...” He slid the green button over, grinning. “oh, hello, little black~”

You covered your mouth as you heard Black's voice crack over the phone, his voice rising and demanding to know where you were. You laughed as Sin deflected everything being said then promptly hung up on the raging skeleton. He grabbed your hand, a little frown on his teeth as he looked around.

“we'd better go,” he murmured. “i'm sure the dog isn't too far behind.”

You shuddered and let him pull you to him. He gave you a wink. “hold on tight, cutie; we're takin' a shortcut.”

You gripped his vest and closed your eyes, burying your face in his chest as the ground seemed to drop from beneath you. You felt like your organs were rearranging and you could feel your lungs contract ever so slightly.

When you felt gravity hit you, you almost dropped to your knees, gasping as Sin caught you, stroking your hair away from your face and holding you until world righted itself. When you finally managed to focus, you took a look at your surroundings.

The carpet you were kneeling in was a plush eggshell white, and the walls in what you assumed was the living room were a bright purple, lilac almost. You saw the furniture strewn about the room. White leather couches and chaises, a fireplace that was already lit with a roaring fire. There were a couple of vases with flowers in the room and a bookshelf along one wall.

“How big is your house?” you managed to get out.

Sin chuckled, helping you to your feet. “not as big as the other one, since it's only paps and i here.”

You hummed absently, moving to trail your fingers over the leather of a couch. “I noticed you boys all seem to do that,” you mused softly, almost to yourself. “When you're home. Just you and your brothers. You always revert back to Sans and Papyrus, every time.”

You didn't see the way Sin's purple hearts were following you, following the trail your hand made on his couch. When he had gotten that call from Sans, he already knew something was happening. He could feel it in his soul. Then Sans had said something about your ovulation and the boys were going crazy, especially the Fells and the SwapFells.

He could even hear sweet little Blueberry getting flustered because he had wanted you to come to his room. He chuckled to himself; a full grown monster using his cutsie wiles to get a girl in bed. He remembered doing that at one point himself when the heats had made their stay.

After reassuring the classic version of himself no harm would come to you while you were with him and Paps, he had made sure to clean out a room, Paps making sure you had some extra comfort and stuff that wasn't white, just in case. He knew how some females got uncomfortable with white if they're times hit unexpectedly.

When you looked at him with those honey doe eyes, he about fell to his knees. He was far from a submissive, but something about you made him want to be. Your smile was entrancing and the way you spoke was like bells and chimes. So light. You were bright, you were talented, and you were an amazing addition to the psychotic little family Classic had dragged here.

Though, he did wonder how you would take one of the others. He kept himself secluded, but he was scheduled to be coming by soon. Sin hummed at your question before tossing the thought aside.

You watched those hearts in his sockets flash a little. “it's something we still try to cherish with our siblings while we're stuck here,” he finally said. “to me, pink is paps. to axe, crooks is paps. to blue, stretch is papy. like with edge, red is sans. to paps, guy is sans.”

“I see what you're saying,” you murmured. You turned to him with a small smile. “Guess I'm stuck with you for a little while.”

“it's not a problem, cutie.”

“Sans?”

You looked over to see Pink and meekly waved at him, your face flushing red. He gave you a warm smile and came down the stairs the rest of the way, and instead of kissing your hand like he did when you first met, he wrapped you in a hug.

The urge to poke the pink thing that made up his belly was stronger than ever.

“Welcome To Our Home, Y/n,” he said, moving back a little. “We Have A Room Ready For You.”

“Oh, fuck me,” you groaned, smacking your forehead.

“gladly~”

“Sans,” Pink chided. Looking at you, he tilted his head. “What's Wrong, Candy?”

All these fucking nicknames were so cute, you can't tell any of them no. Crap. You shook yourself before sighing.

“I...don't have any clothes,” you muttered. “I only thought I was going to the store to grab my stuff and then head back...”

Pink chuckled. “It's Quite Alright. We Have Some Stuff Here That Should Fit You.”

“you mean like the maid outfit, right?” Sin asked, his heart eyelights getting bigger.

You laughed as Pink bopped him on his skull. “No, Like The Actual Clothes, Sans,” Pink said pointedly. “I Swear If I Go Up There And The Only Thing In That Closet Is The Maid Outfit...”

Sin looked like he was sweating little purple bullets before holding up a finger with a wide grin. Pink narrowed his sockets at him as he vanished, the feeling of static thin in the air. Pink shook his head as you slowed your laughter into small giggles, shaking your own head.

Pink looked over at you. “How Are You Feeling? I'm Sure Their Behaviors Startled You.”

You shrugged. “I mean, I was kind of thrown off. Sans and I never really got into the topic of heats. I figured it was something he was always uncomfortable talking about and I didn't want to make him feel like he had to tell me.” You glanced at the phone in your hand. “I probably should have asked before this hit.”

“Not To Worry, Candy,” Pink said, looping his arm through yours. “Let's Go Make Some Dinner And Sans and I Can Inform You How Monster Heats Work And Why Your...Ovulation Got Them This Way.”

“Lifesaver!” you gasped dramatically, following him into the kitchen.

Guess you weren't done learning things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC: *starts ovulating*  
> all the guys in the house right then and there: aw fuck.


	19. Lesson Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ya learn more about the heats and why your period sucks.  
> You meet a new skeleton when you just want to bathe.  
> You still get to hang out with Stretch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm so fucking sick.**
> 
> I've been nonstop coughing and wheezing. Stupid asthma is kicking my ass on top of it. Stupid weather changes in Ohio fucking suck, dude. I feel like hell.
> 
>  **ALSO** , ya girl is now a beta reader for a wonderful person named Echobird53! Give their story a shot! I'll put the thingy down where I usually make sassy remarks in the end notes. (:
> 
> Okay, now I have a headache. I'm going to post this, take some freaking pills and go the hell to bed with my cat. Y'all don't understand how miserable I feel right now. xD
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lollipopskele
> 
> Come follow me! If we can get to 100, I'll post a picture of my shitty Frisk cosplay, or just one of me in a cosplay. xD
> 
> Introducing:  
>  **Dusttale Sans:** Dusty

The three of you were now sitting at the table eating, Sin making comments about the clothes you were wearing compared to what you could be wearing. You only had a bite of your food when he started, and you hid your face behind your hands as you laughed and blushed like a school girl.

“Enough!” you laughed. “I'm not wearing booty shorts! Please, can we skip this?”

“I Think So,” Pink said, sending a playfully angry glare at his brother. He looked at you now, his pink hearts searching your face. “You Said A Little While Ago That You Knew Next To Nothing Of Monster Heats.”

“Nothing,” you said, nodding as you took another bite of garlic bread. “I didn't think Sans would tell me anything.”

Sin rolled his eyelights. “of course not; can start a bond with you. can hide things from you. can even hide _you_ from _us_. but not tell you something that would have been good to know when you needed to know. _classic_.”

You shrugged. “Well, I know you guys will tell me.”

“It's Only Right You're Properly Informed,” Pink agreed, and you could see the Papyrus personality poke out from him. “Now, Do You Have Any Specific Questions?”

“What the fuck happened?”

Sin laughed, choking on a noodle while Pink admonished you for five minutes about your language. But even he couldn't be serious as you continued laughing over Sin choking, your head in the crook of your arm on the table as you slapped your knee.

“I knew you liked choking on long things, Sans, but Christ,” you cackled.

That just sent him into another round of laughter, throwing his fork on his plate as he covered his lilac flushed face with his hands. Pink's face even flushed his namesake, and he lowered his fork to hold his head in his hands, elbows on the table as he shook his skull. But you knew he was laughing from the way his shoulders shook. You couldn't breathe, and you knew you sounded like a doofy seal while clapping your hands.

“E-enough!” Pink finally managed. When all of you had calmed down he blew out a breath, picking his fork back up. “Okay. Now. Your...Ovulation Is Basically Your Body's Way Of Saying It's The Perfect Time To...Breed.”

“Breed?” you deadpanned. “Like an animal? Really?”

“monsters during their heats are the equivalent,” Sin said, pointing his fork at you. “especially boss monsters such as us. sans, however...” He chuckled, humming. “he's the worst because he's an alpha.”

“An Alpha? I think I read somewhere in those notes this was the 'Alpha Timeline',” you muttered.

“He's The Original,” Pink agreed. “So It's Only Natural That He'd Be An Alpha, Especially With So Many Versions Of Himself And His Brother In One Timeline.”

“Wow...okay. Does that makes Papyrus one then?” you asked, scowling.

Sin nodded. “it does.”

“Well, okay then. So basically my body was putting out signals that I was ready to make babies,” you said slowly.

They both nodded, but Pink said, “That's Right. And The More...Docile Ones Were Able To Get Away From That. However...”

“the fells and swapfells come from harsher universes,” Sin said. “they'll still respect when you say no, but they push boundaries, and they'll try and take what they can get from it.”

You shivered. “So be careful with them, got it.”

Pink nodded. “Blueberry Is Accustomed To Heats, But...He Tends To Be Very Nervous. As Far As I Am Aware, He's A Virgin.”

Sin chuckled darkly. “not since last year.” He gave a cheeky wink.

You looked between the two of them. You held up your hands, shaking your head. “Nope. Not asking.” You pointed your fork between the two of them. “So why aren't you two...going all crazy over it?”

Pink smiled and Sin leaned across the table. “because we're in a constant state of heat. our bodies are accustomed to it and aren't as affected by the pheromones you're currently putting out, cutie.”

You groaned. “Don't remind me. I'm waiting for the pain of cramps and the cravings to actually hit."

He chuckled as Pink began to clear away the plates. “listen, right now, you're the safest with us until your hormones and pheromones settle down. until then? don't answer the phone, don't talk to any of them. and have me with you at all times, alright? this way if they try coming to you, i can teleport us out of there easily. i know it sounds like a hassle, but they're gonna be huntin' for you. specially that damn dog.”

You fiddled with your hands on the table. “So I'm basically trapped inside the house?”

“Don't You Have A Job?” Pink asked, coming back into the room.

You shook your head. “Today kinda...sucked. I met Rus and Tiny, though. But, my job let me go. My mom's influence again.”

“again?” Sin shook his head. “you need to cut that cord if this is how your life is.”

You shrugged. You didn't want to talk about it right now, so instead you stood. “I'm gonna go take a bath.”

“need some comp – ow!”

You snorted as Pink kicked Sin under the table. The two had a stare off while you shook your head and made your way up the stairs. You didn't know where your room was, but you could play guessing games while the two were eyeballing each other.

It was easy to find, and once you stepped in, you shook your head. A fucking heart shaped bed. These two were joking, right? You didn't even bother as you went over to the white dresser and opened it. You pulled out a pair of panties and new socks before moving for the closet. You chose a silk pajama set, grinning as you made your way into the bathroom.

“Oh, for fuck's sake,” you chortled, flinging your arms out at your side. “A heart shaped bathtub, too? Fucking seriously?”

You shook your head, getting your bath ready. Your cramps were pretty bad, and you decided a soak would be your best bet.

–

“Is He Not Answering?”

Sans looked at Papyrus, sighing and rubbing his skull. They stayed in the kitchen after you left, trying to call their...less than happy charge. He was due to be here within the next couple of days, but with you in the house, neither one thought it would be a good idea. Even if he was technically a bond mate himself...

But they both knew if a bond isn't sought after, it could be easily severed. But in order for them to do that, they had to make sure he didn't come here. It was already hard enough trying to get in touch with him to begin with, but if he knew something was going on, he was purposely avoiding them.

Sans clicked his purple tongue behind his teeth. “i mean, one of us could go to him...”

“I'd Rather Not,” Papyrus admitted, glancing toward the stairs. “Her Smell Is All Over Us, And If He Smells Her, He'll Just Come Here Anyway.”

Sans muttered a curse under his breath before he stood, tapping away on his phone again before holding it to his skull. Papyrus watched him as he paced nervously, something he hadn't seen his brother do since before the constant heats.

“fuck,” Sans muttered, tossing his phone back on the table. “what good is it giving that freak a phone if he doesn't even answer it?”

Papyrus only grunted, not something he did often. He stood, heading for the front door and putting his boots on. Sans followed him, leaning on the wall beside the shoes.

“I'll Go See If I Can't Find Him,” Papyrus said. “Make Sure Y/n Is Alright.”

Sans chuckled. “heh, oh i'll make sure, alright.”

Before his brother could smack him, Sans teleported away, his laughter following the taller brother out the door. Papyrus merely shook his head, a smile on his teeth as he shut and locked the door, using his magic so only he and his brother could get in and out. He'd have to do that to all the doors, and make sure your bedroom door was locked as well.

He made his way into the woods, grumbling to himself as he moved around. He didn't mind watching this version of his brother. In fact, it gave him something to do now that he wasn't focusing on becoming part of the Royal Harem anymore. But it was still a pain when he didn't answer his phone.

This version always managed to lose his phone. Or he'd break it. There were more than one occurrences where he or his brother walked in to see the small device lodged into the wall or the ceiling or an appliance.

When he neared the little cottage, Papyrus paused, searching for his magic. He frowned. His brother's counterpart hadn't been here at least in a few hours. So where could he have gone?

He didn't put two and two together until he heard your scream, turning on his heel and racing back to the house.

**

You just wanted a bath. You were confused, annoyed, and just wanted to relax before Mother Nature decided to smack you with the curse of woman. Sin had come to the door to tell you he was heading off to the store to grab some pain medication for you maybe twenty minutes ago.

And when you got out, wrapping yourself in a towel, you went into your given room before letting out a scream.

Sans was standing in front of you, hands in his pockets. But...it wasn't Sans. It was another version of him, with a gray hood pulled over his head. He still wore the white shirt and black basketball shorts you were so familiar with. Instead of slippers, we wore black and purple trainers, the laces tucked under the tongue of the shoe. Everything he wore seemed to shimmer in the fading sunlight through the window.

His eyelights held your gaze, a little whimper leaving your throat. They were red, but the right one was purple ringed in red. Those mismatched eyes watched you as you pressed your back against the wall beside the door of the bathroom.

What also shook you was the floating bust of Papyrus next to him, watching you just as curiously as this version of Sans. The scarf was floating around him as he hovered next to his brother. His eyelights were red, small, oval shaped lights in his sockets as he regarded you. You felt your dinner threatening to make its way out of your stomach.

You knew you'd seen this Sans somewhere., but you couldn't recall where. The fear was eating at you as they watched.

“I...I...who are you?” you managed to stammer out.

“...could ask you the same thing...”

Wow. His voice was rough, almost like he never used his voice. It was a deep baritone, raspy like he was smoking way too many cigarettes at once. You swallowed as he and the Papyrus head watched you.

“...oh. is that right, paps?”

Wait. You didn't hear him say anything. You blinked slowly and let out a small gasp. He wasn't there anymore! You looked around, trying to find that haunted looking Papyrus. But he was just...gone. You focused back on the Sans in front of you, who had tilted his head back and was regarding you with an almost too wide grin.

“...you're the bond mate,” he finally said, a raspy chuckle coming out. “it's no wonder we could smell you so strongly. and here i thought those gross perverts brought a random human here to have fun with.”

“Get out!” you yelled, pointing to the door. “Get out of my room right now – _shit_!”

He had gotten right in your face. When you sucked in a breath, the smell of dust and eucalyptus greeted you. It was one of the more off putting smells you encountered, and you felt your heart hammering in your chest, could hear the blood rushing in your ears. He chuckled, his warm breath hitting you in the face.

He slammed a hand next to your head and you let out a small screech. You wanted to try and keep your back straight and stare him down like you did the others, but there was something about this version of Sans that didn't sit right with you. Especially since you noticed his brother was there, but he didn't even have a body!

What the hell was going on?

The bedroom door slammed open, Pink panting as he shot into the room. With a low growl, he slammed into the new skeleton, sending him flying into the wall. You let out a gasp and felt yourself sliding down the wall until Pink gathered you to him.

“What Do You Think You're Doing, Dusty?”

Dusty. You remembered where you had seen that and you shot your wide eyes over to the skeleton who scoffed while standing, brushing himself off. You knew he had looked familiar. You also knew why you felt so uneasy around him. Did that make him one of your bond mates, too?

Of course it did. Why wouldn't it?

Dusty chuckled lowly while he dusted himself off. When he looked at the two of you, his grin was manic, his eyelights shrunken in his skull. You squealed and buried your face into Pink's sternum. You thought if his grin grew any wider, it would start to crack his skull.

“sorry, sorry,” he mumbled, chuckling. “just wanted to see what that weird pull was. paps said it was coming from here.”

You felt Pink jerk above you, and when you looked up at him, he looked troubled. Your eyes once more searched for the floating bust, but you came up empty, and there was an odd, off putting feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Well, Now You Know,” Pink sighed, seeming to deflate. “But Why Would You Come Into Her Room? Humans Have Boundaries, Dusty.”

Dusty chuckled again. His grin had lessened and his eyelights expanded as he took you in. Part of you was curious, but the other part of you remembered what his file had said, and you were nervous to even be close to him. Even if he was a bond mate, something threw you off of him.

But you did have to admit to yourself you gave Cooks and Axe a chance, even after you learned they had eaten humans. His file had simply said something about needing to beat Chara, whatever that meant. Going through at least a hundred different resets? You didn't know what those were, and you didn't come close to understanding how things went Underground, but now you were determined to know what happened to this version of Sans.

You wiggled in Pink's grip, signaling you wanted on your own feet. Once he set you down, you clutched your towel around you tighter and you slowly approached Dusty like you were coming close to a wild animal. Those strange eyelights watched you but no one stopped you, and you stood in front of him.

The shimmering of his clothes took you off guard, and something told you that you already knew what it was. Swallowing the nerves, you reached out and took his hand. It was cold but smooth under your touch, a little grainy from the...the dust on his hand. You tried not to think about that as you met his gaze.

His eyelights had shrunk again, surprise on his features as he narrowed his sockets at you. Like he was trying to figure out what you were trying to do. And as you held on, you could see that floating bust over his head, his late brother peeking at you over his shoulder. Those red eyelights watched you, stared you down as you lifted Dusty's hand to your face.

His phalanges had been whittled into claws, and you winced at how painful that must have been for him. You brought one of the claws to your face and kissed the metacarpal, keeping eye contact with him despite every instinct in you telling you to run away. You heard Pink take in a deep breath behind you and you could hear the front door slam open and close, signaling Sin's arrival home.

“I don't know you, nor what you went through,” you whispered to him. “I read your file, and I'm so sorry you had to do that, that you felt the need to do that. But, if you're a bond mate, I...I can try to get to know you. Only...not now, and when we're both ready?”

You watched his eyelights flick to his brother. You didn't even see his mouth move, but you heard Dusty mumbling something to him, and you felt your grip on his hand tighten a smidgen. But he felt it nonetheless, his eyelights snapping back to you. They seemed to enlarge as he connected the dots.

“you don't have any kind of self preservation instincts, do you?” he whispered harshly.

He spun you brutally, your back slamming against the wall and his hands connecting loudly with the wall next to your head. You let out a tiny yelp, swallowing a scream as he leaned down until his nasal cavity was almost on top of your nose. You were shaking and you heard Pink and Sin both telling him to let you go.

“ya smell good,” he muttered suddenly. He leaned closer, moving to the side next to your neck and shoulder, taking in a deep breath. “almost like lilacs. peaches with a hint of hazelnuts. it's fucking _intoxicating_.”

“Dusty...”

“i wouldn't if i was you, lilac,” he quietly snarled. “i know those two explained things to you, and i'll have no problems being the first to show you a _great_ time.”

Shivers crawled up your back as he practically threw himself away from you. You blew out a breath, sinking to the floor as he looked over at the lust brothers. They both glared at him, Sin taking a step forward and his right eyelight flickering as magic built.

“i'll leave. don't worry. give her my number. if i don't hear from her by tomorrow, then i'll be back.”

With a deep chuckle, the static in the air seemed to swirl around before he vanished, the smell of dust and eucalyptus evaporating in the air. You let out a harsh gasp as you clutched at your chest, panic beginning to settle in finally. Sin and Pink were next to you in a second flat, moving the hair from your face and pressing in different areas to make sure you were okay.

You answered their questions positively. No, you weren't hurt. Yes, you were alright. Everything was okay. He didn't actually hurt you. Everything was fine.

They finally left to let you take care of yourself. You dealt with your business in the bathroom before heading over to get dressed. Once you found a simple dress you liked, you put it on, moving to tie your hair in a braid on the side before you glanced at yourself in the mirror.

Holy shit.

You took in an unsteady breath, trying to calm your nerves. You knew you would have met him eventually. But how did he even know none of the others had touched you? Was it because of a certain scent you should give off? You blew out the breath, moving to grab your phone before you went to join Pink and Sin downstairs.

Sin was on the phone and you could hear Sans on the other end panicking. When he saw you, he held a single digit to his teeth in a silent askance to be quiet. You nodded and went off to find Pink, who was sitting on one of the couches in the living room and reading. At your approach, he smiled and placed the book down.

You sat down next to him, moving the skirt of the dress so it covered what it needed to before leaning against the skeleton beside you. He wrapped an around your shoulder, his phalanges lazily tracing along your arm as you both listened to Sin talk to Sans.

“nah, she's fine...sans, would you...no, he didn't hurt her. yes, he and i checked her over. sans, would you...no, you're not talking to her.” Sin's voice sounded strained as you heard growling on the other end of the phone. “that's exactly why you're not talking to her. if i have to take her phone so she doesn't talk to any of you, then so be it. oh, quit your growling over there, big bad alpha, or i'll come over and help take care of you.”

You glanced over at Pink. “What does he mean by that?” you asked softly, trying not to be heard by the skeleton on the phone.

“We Help The Boys Take Care Of Their Heats,” Pink explained. “It May Seem Weird, But Not Taking Care Of A Heat Could Be Dangerous To Us Skeletons. Especially Because We Are All Boss Monsters.” He hummed, his phalange tapping against your arm. “Sans And Papyrus Need It The Most Since They're The Alpha Skeletons.”

You made a little “ohh” sound as you turned back to where Pink was now pacing in the living room. You tucked yourself further into the skeleton next to you. It reminded you of cuddling with Papyrus on the couch the couple times you got to. It was nice.

When you inhaled, the smell of butterscotch and a lightness of geraniums washed over you. You smiled as Sin cursed and you glanced over at him. A thought struck you and you looked at Pink in confusion.

“Wait, you guys are skeletons. How the fuck are you able to...?”

Pink sent you a lewd wink, his grin turning seductive as his other hand came over and ghosted under your chin. “Would You Really Like To Find Out Now?”

“No,” you squeaked immediately. “I...uh...not now?”

“Nyeheheh, Not Now, Huh?”

Sin finally hung up with Sans and sighed, coming sit on your other side. You were adjusted between the two brothers as Sin turned on the TV in front of you. Your back was pressed against Pink's ribs and Sin was running his half gloved hand over your shins and calves.

You stayed like that with them the rest of the night. You didn't remember falling asleep, but the events of the day finally caught up to you. You woke up at Sin's request long enough to change into a pair of silk pajamas and crawled halfway into bed. You heard his chuckle as he adjusted you and tucked you in, placing a chaste kiss on your forehead before darkness swallowed you whole once more.

**

Wednesday rolled around, and you were feeling a lot better. The initial pain of your period was finally coming to a stop and you groaned as you looked at your phone. There were so many text messages and missed calls, including one from an unknown number.

**Unknown Number:** morning, lilac.

That must have been Dusty. You chewed on your lip and sent a reply back before you checked through the rest of the messages. You weren't too surprised to see Red and Mutt having sent certain...things. You closed out of theirs and went through Edge's and Black's before you ignored everything else coming in. You then checked on the other things.

Sans had messaged asking if you were definitely okay after what had happened with Dusty. After sending him an affirmation, you clicked on Stretch's messages as one came through.

**Honeypot:** we still on for today?

You paused, unsure how to answer. You were sure things would be fine since you were coming to a close, even though it had been a couple of days. But you chewed your lip, trying to think of how to answer. Sin and Pink had said the more docile ones would be okay, but the others...

You threw on some clothes before heading downstairs, where Sin and Pink were setting everything up for breakfast. You waved to them as you came into the room. Sin gave you a wink and bounded over to you, hugging you close and nuzzling your cheek. You laughed, trying to get him off of you as Pink came back into the room.

“Sans, Please,” Pink sighed. “Let The Poor Girl Breathe.”

“I'm fine,” you chuckled. Then you frowned. “So...I have a question.”

Sin looked at you as he lead you over to your seat. Once you all were sat down, you let them know about the messages, and sending one back to Dusty and Sans. But when you got to Stretch's, you paused. After some gentle coaxing, you finally admitted that you had made plans with him for the day before everything had happened.

Sin and Pink shared a look. You ate a mouthful of eggs as Sin answered you.

“while i would love to say no and hoard you here a little longer,” he sighed dramatically, bringing a giggle from you, “i don't see the harm in it. might be good for you to get out.”

Pink nodded. “He Isn't One Of The Crazier Ones,” he chuckled. “So Long As It's Still Him. But You Need To Come Back Tonight. Your Time Still Isn't Up, And You Might Wind Up Here Longer Depending The Ending Of Your Time.”

“Wait, why?” you asked after sending your confirmation to Stretch.

“because their heats were scheduled to come soon,” Sin said, shrugging. “and your time of the month might have kick started it sooner.”

“Oh.”

Pink chuckled as you checked your phone. Stretch had sent back a smiley face and you chuckled a little, putting your phone back on the table as you continued talking and eating with the boys. You were beginning to miss your meal times with the others, but you shrugged it off. You'd be back soon enough.

After breakfast, you went up to shower and change into something that would be perfect for the weather. The leaves had begun changing colors and were now falling from their branches and were causing the leaf tornadoes you used to chase when you were a kid. You smiled as you threw on a pair of leggings and grabbed a soft looking orange sweater from the closet. You smiled as you tugged it on over a camisole.

After dealing with your hair and adding the tiniest bit of makeup, you grabbed your phone and wallet before heading back downstairs.

Sin gave a low wolf whistle and Pink gave some dramatic act of fainting. You laughed as the shorter of the two swooped you around and hugged you to him, gushing about how fabulous you looked. You swatted him away, shoving Pink's hand away as he tried to go for a handful of ass.

Laughing, you managed to get a pair of boots on that had come with the clothes in the closet. You placed the leg warmers over them and warded off the other two, laughing as they pinned you against the wall, nuzzling against you.

If you didn't know better, you thought they would have been lying to you about not being affected by your period.

A knock came to the door and Pink sighed, moving away. Sin moved off of you as his brother went to check the door. As it opened and the others greeted each other, he grabbed your hand to stop you from heading that way. You looked over at him, his face serious as he regarded you.

“if anything happens and you're uncomfortable, call me or paps. not text, call, okay, cutie?” he said, moving your hair behind your ear.

You nodding, giving his hand a squeeze. “I will. Thanks, Sans.”

He grinned, moving closer to run his other hand over your cheek. Those purple eyelights stayed trained to your face as you felt his phalanges ghost over your lips. You smiled, shaking your head and backing away, blowing him a kiss instead and moving to go to the door.

You didn't notice the way he caught said kiss in the air, bringing it to hold directly over his soul, his cheeks turning lilac in color.

Stretch was standing there in front of you, chewing on a toothpick as he talked to Pink. As Pink was going over “rules”, his eyelights snapped to you, and you watched as his face flushed orange. Pink paused in his talking to look over at what had caught his attention.

His grin nearly split his skull as he chuckled and moved to let you pass. The chill of autumn was in the air and you waved to the boys before Stretch took your hand in his and started walking away. You kept your hands in Stretch's as you left the secluded area where Sin and Pink lived, making your way into the town once more.

“So what did you need to do today anyway?” you asked, swinging your hands a little.

He chuckled. “needed to go see muffet about something special. blue ordered a special brand of honey for me for special occasions and i'm on my way to see if the shipment is there.”

You hummed as you two made your way into the town. It was weird being back out in the open and you looked around you. Leaves crunched under your boots and the air was only slightly fogging up in front of you. It was nice being back outside, other than being only allowed on the front porch.

“Uh, hey...” He looked down at you as you both trudged your way down the street. “I wanted to thank you. You know, for getting me away from Edge and taking your brother...”

He grinned, chuckling a little. “it's not a problem, honey. i wish i'd been able to make it back down to stop the other two though,” he grumbled. “black's had him out from sun up till sun down lookin' for you.”

“They know I'm with Sin and Pink, though,” you pointed out, unable to contain the snicker that slipped past you as you remembered the conversation between Sin and Black.

“what's so funny?”

You told him about after you ran from the house, after you had called Sin to come get you. Stretch was laughing as you told him the stuff you were sure Blackberry had been saying. You weren't sure, but he definitely sounded mad as he had ranted and raved at Sin before the skeleton with you had hung up on him.

“so that's what he was all pissy about,” Stretch mused, pulling out a cigarette. He offered you one and you shook your head. He shrugged and put the pack back in his pants pocket. “but as to them knowing...well. there's a different with knowing, and a difference in caring.”

You sighed and rubbed a hand down your face. “Are we gonna have to try and avoid Mutt today, too?”

“probably.”

You entered Muffet's and you sighed happily. It had been a while since coming here. The last time you had been here was when Sans offered you to live with him and his brother. And, of course, their “cousins”. You snorted now.

You had been suspicious from the get go, but you wanted to give your friend the benefit of the doubt. You could have headbutted the wall a hundred times at this point. You knew it. You'd seen it and had been living with it. But you just didn't want to think there were multiple versions of your favorite pair of skeletons.

“honey? you want somethin' before we go?”

Stretch's voice brought you out of your thoughts and you looked over to see him looking at you. You smiled and looked at the spider monster who regarded you fondly.

“Spider cider?”

“Ahuhu~! Comin' right up, dearie!” she said, one of her pairs of hands already at work making the drink.

Stretch chuckled, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and bringing you in close. You were sure you felt him inhale a little deeper than normal, and you felt a shiver go down your spine, but you hid it, smiling up at the skeleton.

“So where are we going after this?” you asked.

“hm, well. since your...smell isn't as strong, i'll probably take ya around the park and we can just have a chill time.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

After you got the spider cider, you paid and waved goodbye to the spider, heading out into the cold once more. Neither of you said anything, but you didn't have to. His arm was still wrapped around your shoulders and you smiled to yourself as you sipped on your drink.

When you got to the park, you went right for the swings. You used to love sitting in them as a teenager, blasting music from your phone as you and your “friends” sat around gossiping about which boy was cuter and them demanding to know your sex life with your boyfriend.

It was a wonderful memory, even if they did turn out to be fake. They just wanted the money, the status. But you had genuinely loved their company. It didn't matter anymore as Stretch took the swing next to you, lighting up a cigarette again as he gently swayed in the swing.

“so. you're not worried i might _jump your bones_?” he asked, rattling his own bones for emphasis.

You let out a snort of laughter. “I'm not. Sin and Pink wouldn't have let me out with you if they didn't think you couldn't control yourself. According to them, I'm safer with you than I would be with Red or Black.”

“we're just lucky they're one of the pairs that stayed in the area,” he said, shaking his head. He glanced over at you. His face scrunched into one of worry. “have ya run into anyone else while there?”

“If you're talking about Dusty, yes,” you said, taking a small sip of cider. “I met him alright.”

You told him about your run in with the manic skeleton. Stretch looked absolutely horrified and damn near swallowed his cigarette when you mentioned that you approached him on your own. And when you mentioned the floating Papyrus, he had stopped you there.

“just...try not to spend too much time around him,” he finally managed to get out. “he's nothing like the rest of us. he's unstable and dangerous.”

You scowled, looking down at your mostly empty cup. “I gave Axe and Crooks a chance, and they ate people. It seems only fair I give him a chance, too.”

Stretch sighed, chuckling a little. “then at least make sure there's someone near you at all times.”

It was quiet, and the wind kicked up, the leaves around you forming a little tornado. You watched as it moved across the park, some of the leaves landing on the play equipment. You jumped as you felt something move behind you and you looked up to see Stretch looking down at you, his hands gripping the chains of the swing loosely in his hands.

“What's up?” you asked.

He let out a laugh before he leaned down, resting his forehead against yours. You blinked, your grip on the cup tightening a little before sighing, closing your eyes. He was so warm, and you felt safe around him even if you knew your period was sending him into a mini tantrum. But he was holding himself back, and you felt glad you came out with him today.

You opened your eyes when he moved away. He came around to stand in front of you before grunting as he sat on the cold ground right in front of your legs. You laughed, setting down your cup and pushing against his shoulders. Wow, for a skeleton, he definitely wasn't budging. Just how much did a bag of bones weigh?

“What are you even doing?” you laughed, shoving him again.

“sleepy,” he answered in a low mutter, leaning his head back. His skull rested on your knees as his eyelights looked up at you. “tell me a story.”

You snorted, shoving him again. “No way! Wake up, sunshine. The Earth says to get the fuck off of me.”

He grinned lazily. “nah.” He shut his sockets. “tell me a story.”

You snorted. “Once upon a time, there was this lazy skeleton who took his bond mate out to the park on a cold November day. Said skeleton decided he was just _so tired_ and decided to try and nap on his bond mate's knees in the middle of the park he took her to.”

“how does this end?”

“With her fist in his eye socket,” you deadpanned.

His laughter was infectious. You chuckled along with him, and you tried shoving him off of you again. When that failed for the umpteenth time, you tried to think of a way to get the lazy skeleton off of you. There was no way you were actually going to put your fist in his socket. That was just weird. You looked around and tried to think of something when the little light bulb went off in your head.

Touching the tips of your toes to the ground, you pushed off. His yelp of surprise had you laughing as he ducked underneath your swing so he didn't get hit as you came back down. You grinned as he lazily rolled off to the side, laying on his back in the wood chips as glaring at you playfully.

“that was mean,” he groaned.

You came to a stop, cackling. “I'm not actually going to put my fist in your socket. That's just fucking weird.”

He chuckled with you before grunting, lifting himself off of the ground. He brushed himself off before kneeling in front of you. He placed his ulnas on your legs now, his head lying on them as you sighed, rolling your eyes. You used your hand to stroke the back of his skull, which earned you a delighted purr.

“i know it's cold out,” he said after a moment, “and i know it wasn't too smart to come out here with me, but thanks for coming out anyway.”

You smiled. “It's alright. Sin and Pink both said it would be okay for me to come hang out with you, since you're one of the more tame skeletons.”

He grumbled something you couldn't catch and you chuckled, watching as the sun set behind the mountain side. You didn't see him staring up at you, his grin easy before he settled back in his little makeshift bed. The two of you watched it for a moment before he moved below you.

You looked down to see him standing. He helped you back to your feet and you both silently made your way back towards Sin and Pink's home. He hesitantly grabbed your pinky with his, and you chuckled before you just grabbed his hand entirely. Your fingers twined around his phalanges, an odd warmth encompassing you as you leaned against him during your walk.

“Sorry it wasn't very long,” you sighed, your breath fogging up in front of you. “Maybe, if you're up for it after the heats and stuff, we can try again.”

He grinned down at you, going unnoticed as you continued to look forward. “yeah, sounds good, honey.”

You two talked quietly the rest of the way back the Lust brothers's house. When you got there, he paused, looking down at you before sighing. He leaned down, pressing his teeth to your cheek before giving you a two finger wave and vanished from sight. You stared at the spot for a moment before you shook your head and went inside the house.

Only to have Sin tackle you before you could even close the door.

“Oof!” you grunted as you went down.

“oh, cutie! i missed you so!” he groaned as he rubbed your cheek like a cat, purring all the while. “it was forever since i saw you last!”

“It's cold!” you complained, laughing. “Let me up and lemme close the door.”

He did, helping you up and shutting the door as you took off your boots. He chuckled as he took your hand and moved you through the house, humming as you laughed. He was acting strange, even for him. When you caught Pink in the living room, the younger brother huffed and rolled his eyelights around in his skull.

“Do Not Mind Him,” he said as he stuffed a bookmark in his book. Closing the book, he added, “We Received A Call From Classic That Their Heats Were Kicking In. I'm Sure It Started After Stretch Came To Get You.”

You frowned. “Stretch didn't seem off...”

“that's because he wasn't around by the time their heats kicked in, but now that he's home? oh, cutie, you're lucky.”

You shivered and gave a weak laugh. “I had fun regardless. Does this mean you guys are leaving?”

“unfortunately,” Sin sighed dramatically. “you'll be here on your own for a week and a half tops. but paps and i will call daily to make sure you're doing okay.”

It was then you noticed there were a few bags packed up and sitting by the door. Part of you was curious as to what was in them. The other half called “Danger! Pervy thoughts all aboard!” while you looked back to the boys with smiles.

“Please, Help Yourself To Anything You Might Need,” Pink said as he came over and wrapped you in a hug. “Again, We'll Be Back Within A Week And A Half, Tops. After That, Would You Mind Gracing My Brother And I With Your Presence For One More Day?”

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as you smiled. “Of course! One more day won't kill the boys.”

They both chuckled and, with the grace only they could muster, they leaned in. With a kiss on each side of your cheek at the same time, they grabbed their bags before Sin took his brother's arm. There was a static charge to the air that surrounded you before they disappeared.

You held your hands to your cheeks as you took in what just happened and you looked around the now quiet house. You huffed out a breath and looked at your phone, humming to yourself.

“Maybe it's time for food,” you grumbled, before you went into the kitchen and dug through the fridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pink: Blueberry Is A Little Virgin Cinnamon Roll.  
> Sin: lol u mean _sin_ amon roll, rite?  
> MC: ffs.
> 
> \---
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245132/chapters/50584904
> 
> Here's that fic I mentioned by Echobird53. (: Give it a shot and give em feedback! :*


	20. Free Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Sin and Pink are with the boy, what are you left to do?  
> You talk to your Mamaw.  
> Looks like Sin wants to check in on you.  
> And Pink has some...news for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, so I'm doing better this week.
> 
> I'm already almost done writing YBM. Which makes me kinda sad? But at the same time, more time for ASoF. **PLUS** , I noticed, ~~much to my enjoyment~~ , there was a...bit of foreshadowing in chapter in eighteen no one pointed out. >w>
> 
> Tellin' y'all now, it's about to come back to bite you in the ass. (:
> 
> Enjoy your chapter of Readz and her friends and their shenanigans. <3
> 
> Song in chapter:
> 
> **Runaway** by Aurora

Two days passed, and your phone was like a mini vibrator with how often it went off. Sin and Pink had told you after the first day not to look at or respond to any of the messages they sent to you. And if you did look, then that was on you. After they had told you that, they'd hung up with nothing else to say other than that they missed you.

You were staring at your phone like it was a bomb. Blue, Red, Serif, Sans, Edge, Mutt and Blackberry were the worst of your texters. Axe, Crooks, Dusty, Pink, Sin, Papyrus, Stretch and Tango seemed to be good with texting you only once or twice a day. From the first group, though, there were so many texts, you were scared to look through all of them.

Especially with the memory of the way you had felt in Blackberry and Mutt's arms the day they had their pseudo heat. Or the way Red had purred his nickname for you. Or Mutt's growl through your door. Not to mention the way Edge had freaking _pinned you to the wall_. The memories made you shiver, and you scrubbed a hand through your hair before turning the TV off and grabbing your phone.

You needed to talk to someone, and you knew just the person. After turning your ringer to silent, you went to your contacts and pressed the contact at the top of the list.

After three rings, you heard the familiar, “There's the old lady!”

You gave a small smile as you tucked your phone between your shoulder and ear, chuckling, “Hey, Mamaw.”

It was an affectionate name you had called her since you were a child. Your grandfather, Papaw by nature, could be heard in the background, watching John Wayne once more. You rolled your eyes as you stood from the couch and made your way into the kitchen.

“How are you?” she asked. You could hear the lighter flicking on her end and rolled your eyes.

“I'm...fine,” you said, pausing in making your tea. “Just having some issues as of late.”

“Hm, so I've heard,” she said blowing into the phone. Likely blowing out the smoke from her cigarette. “Your mother has been keeping me informed.”

You groaned, grabbing a tea bag from the cupboard. “I'm sure she fucking has.”

“Watch your mouth or I'll bend you over my knee, woman,” she said absently. You chuckled as she cleared her throat, continuing, “And of course she has. She likes to think she's no better than a gab, but she runs her mouth more than most of the others around me. And I'm old!”

“At least you're aware of it,” you agreed.

“She's been telling anyone and everyone about her woes with trying to get you to come home,” your Mamaw sighed. “Only when your dad or I aren't around, though.”

“That's cause the two of you would stick up for me and call her out on her bullshit,” you quipped, making your tea once the water heated up.

“Now, honey, tell me; what's going on that you need me?”

Your Mamaw's gentle voice had tears springing to your eyes. You took the tea you made and went back into the living room, curling up on the couch and putting her on speaker as you just...word vomited everywhere. She made noises here and there and paused you to get clarification, but otherwise let you have the floor. At some point, you were sure you heard your Papaw grumbling about boys needing to leave you alone, which only made you chuckle before you finished your tale.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke, her voice hushed.

“My darling, have you thought about it?”

You blinked. “Mamaw?”

“You're a smart child, Y/n,” she hummed. “You don't do things without thinking them through, usually. And while that's great, sometimes, you need to let the reins go for a little bit.”

“Mamaw, what do you mean?”

“I think your friend Morgan had a point.” You could hear her shrug. “I know I'm in my golden years, but I know how my grandchildren are. If you chose to have more than one partner? I would love you. Always. You're my only granddaughter, and I treasure you more than you can understand.”

You wiped the tears that gathered at the corner of your eyes before you sniffled a little. “Mamaw...thank you.”

“I may be old, but I know love is love, and I know you can love more than one person. While it may not seem like it, because of how frowned upon it was, it was like that when Papaw and I were younger.”

“But you love Papaw, right?”

“Truthfully, I do. I'm afraid that your Papaw might leave me for John Wayne one of these days.”

You snorted a laugh, almost spitting out tea all over the white couch. You quickly wiped the little bit of spittle from your chin as you listened to your Mamaw's chuckles on the other end of the phone. You tore into her, laughing.

The two of you then spent two hours on the phone, talking about nonsense and you telling her about the boys. She was fascinated by the ones you'd met so far, and when you mentioned there could be more that came through, she chuckled. When you made mention of the ones you didn't meet yet, she hummed thoughtfully.

“Sounds like that 'Hunter' character is gonna be a sneak,” she commented. “You remember what Papaw taught you about hunting, right? And your father?”

You rolled your eyes. “Of course, Mamaw. I just went hunting with them last year.”

The two of you still talked, and you felt yourself growing weary as the time passed. You let out a yawn, which she caught. With a smile in her voice, she bid you goodbye, and would talk to you soon.

Once you hung up, you wrapped your arms around your legs and sighed. So far, only your mother and Daisy had an issue with you around the monsters. And while Daisy didn't matter to you, you knew that deep down, your mother's opinion did. For some reason, there was still that child inside of you that just wanted her to approve of something you did.

But nothing was ever good enough, and this whole monster thing was going to go in for the long run. You tapped your forehead against your knees as you stood, putting your phone down before taking your cup back to the kitchen for another cup of tea.

It shouldn't surprise you that your Mamaw said something like that. With the boys, at least. She was the only woman in your life that supported you, much to her daughter in law's disgust. And she knew you had a huge heart to give. So hearing her give you the approval you needed made you smile just a little, wiping a tear away from your eye.

You couldn't wait to see her on Thanksgiving.

You tidied up around the house, carrying your cup of tea with you. You felt strangely domesticated here, and you couldn't help but wonder how each of the boys would be like if you ended with with any of them. Morgan had a point; they had their own money. They weren't in this for the cash, they were there for you.

You hummed, smiling to yourself as you went back into the living room, picking up the book that Pink was reading, placing it on top of the coffee table before you plopped down on the couch, leaning your head back and staring at the ceiling.

You were so bored.

You were so accustomed to the chaos of the household antics that sitting in the quiet, for at least another week, was the worst punishment possible. You managed to at least talk to your Mamaw without having to worry about the boys eavesdropping on your conversation. But you wanted nothing more than to do something right then.

Flicking through the channels on the TV, you sighed, settling on a cooking show. You and Edge usually watch these with the other enthusiastic members of the household, and you could hear them around you now. Bickering and grunting, shouting and duking it out via words. You felt a small smile come to your face before you grabbed your phone.

You clicked on your messages and you groaned, your head leaning back as you took in the amount of texts you had from the skeletons. There were so many, you just clicked on their names and backed out of them just to clear the bold font from their names. You placed your phone on your chest, huffing a breath before picking it back up.

You went through the more calmer of the skeletons first, letting them know you were eating and that you were alright, just bored. They all sent back thumbs up or affirmations they got the text. You knew they weren't going to text you otherwise.

The others, however...

You hesitantly clicked on Red's, almost throwing your phone to the floor in the process. Blackberry, Mutt and Pink had all basically told you they had the equipment to work with, but you weren't sure you wanted to see it just yet! But, of course, Red will bulldoze that right out of the water park. You rubbed your eyes, trying to get the image from your brain before blindly backing out of it.

When you got to Edge's, you were a little more cautious. But there wasn't anything there for you, just a collar. You frowned, clicking on the picture before squinting your eyes. You saw there was a tag on it, but you could barely make out what it said. You upped your phone's brightness for a moment before you groaned, leaning your head back against the arm rest.

The fucking tag had your name on it! Was he crazy?!

You backed out of his before heading to Mutt's messages. Again, almost throwing your phone through the window of the house. You saw fangs, and a tongue. A freaking tongue. Between two fingers. Jesus fucking Christ, they were aiming to murder you, weren't they?

Black and Serif's messages weren't too bad, but they made you blush from neck to hairline as they described what kind of fun the two of you could have had. And Sans seemed a little more tense, almost demanding as he told you the way he would use you before quickly apologizing and blaming his heat. This was a new side of him, and you weren't exactly sure how to take it.

You put your phone down and scrubbed your face lightly before blowing out a breath and thinking on what you could do. It wasn't like you had to stay in the house, but you did need to make sure Pink and Sin knew where you went. You sighed, picking your phone up again and typing out a message to Morgan, putting your phone down while you waited for a response.

You turned off the TV and hummed as you grabbed the blanket you'd been using, running it up to your room and placing it on the bed. You went back down, grabbing your phone to show you Morgan had agreed to meet you at Muffet's. With a small smile, you went and got changed into something a little warmer before grabbing the key the boys had left for you and leaving the house, making sure to lock up.

You smiled as you made your way through town, stopping to talk to a few people and some of your classmates. You even caught sight of Gareth and his girlfriend, giving them a wave as you made your way across the street to say hello.

While Gareth was some kind of Greek God, his girlfriend was small and mousy, often apologizing for looking at you too long. You knew she was trying to write a book, and often came to you or Gareth when she needed help on a character or something about an animal. You had no problem, but you were always afraid to approach her on her own in case she ran away scared.

That's why you dubbed her as “Mouse”.

“Hey, guys!” you said, giving them each a hug. “What's going on here?”

“Nah, just takin' sweets out here to go get something warm,” Gareth chuckled. “Where you headed?”

“Muffet's actually. Gonna meet up with Morgan since I was bored.” You grinned, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. “Whaddaya say you and Mouse here join us? The more the merrier?”

Mouse – well, her real name was Jenna – let out a shy smile and nodded. “I would like that. I haven't seen you in a while.”

“The Goddess hath spoken!” Gareth cried, giving an exaggerated bow that had his girlfriend blushing and telling him to frantically stop it.

You laughed, winding your arm through hers while the two of you quickly stepped away from the obnoxious ass calling for you to stop stealing his girlfriend. You only lifted your middle finger high in the sky as the two of you went to see the spider monster. Gareth caught up easily enough and wrapped an arm around each of you.

The two of you laughed as he leaned on the two of you, grumbling about bitch's trying to take his girlfriend away from him. Mouse only slapped his cheek lightly a couple of times, telling him she was sorry, but she was secretly into girls and only used him as a cover up. You took a look at her, raising a brow before making a kissy face.

She squeaked and covered her face while the three of you laughed, heading into the monster cafe. Morgan was already there, waving at the three of you. You noticed he brought Isaiah with him, but Terrence was nowhere to be seen. You shrugged it off and brought Mouse with you while the boys went to grab their drinks.

Once you both sat down, she grabbed your hands in hers, her fingers cold as they grazed across your skin. You looked up at her, surprised.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly. “Gareth...told me what happened at the zoo.”

You smiled and wrapped her hands in yours, giving a light squeeze. “Nothing to worry about, Mouse,” you said softly. “I'm in good hands, promise.”

She gave you a rare, bright smile. “I'm glad to hear that! Gareth told me you were living with monsters, and I was worried at first, but they seem to be taking care of you. So I'm glad they were there.”

“Bitch has a whole harem there, man,” Morgan said, shocking the two of you from your moment. You glared at him as he set down a steaming cup in front of you. “Seriously, there are so many skeletons there, and it's so cool! One of them is my little buddy, too.”

Mouse grinned, her eyes sparkling. “I would love to meet them myself! Do you think I can, Y/n?”

You nodded, lifting the lid of your drink to see steaming hot chocolate in the cup. With another nod of your head, you placed the lid back on it. “Of course. It'll have to wait until after Thanksgiving, though. I don't know if they plan on hosting their own if they're coming with me to the one with my family.”

Everyone but Isaiah scrunched their nose. Morgan filled the confused boy in on what your family was like while Gareth leaned close, his arms on the table as he studied you for a moment.

“Are you sure that's such a good idea?” he asked.

“Probably not,” you mumbled around the rim of the lid. “But she needs to know I'm not moving my stance on this. I'm not changing schools, I'm not going home, and I'm not going to sit under her thumb.”

“Has she tried anything else since I last saw you?” Morgan asked, leaning against the back of his seat so Isaiah could see you.

You told them about the happenings of your job, and why you weren't there right now. Morgan practically spit out his drink and Mouse looked like she was about to start a little riot. Gareth was shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. And Isaiah looked in absolute shock.

Morgan was cleaning the spit from his chin when he looked at you. You were looking down at the table, spinning your cup between your hands idly while sighing. You didn't look at any of them and instead looked out the window.

“Y/n...” Mouse's voice was soft as she grabbed your attention.

“It's alright,” you chuckled, waving them away. “I'll find something else in the meantime while I go to school.”

“Maybe Muffet?” Isaiah asked.

“She only hires monsters,” Morgan said, tossing his napkin on the table. “Nothing against humans, but monsters tend to have harder times finding jobs.”

“Truth,” you and Mouse said at the same time, dragging out the “u”.

“What about that bar you and Sans frequent?” Gareth asked. Morgan was nodding and Isaiah hummed. “Grillby's? Maybe he'll hire you."

“I'll give it a look,” you said, nodding slowly.

The five of you spent the next three hours talking, going to the counter to get more drinks or some sweets to eat. You made sure to check your phone every now and then, making sure to let Sin and Pink know you were okay and with friends.

You took a few pictures of everyone and some with everyone. The topics ranged from home lives to music tastes. You got to know Isaiah a little more, and even got to learn that Mouse had a fantastic voice – at least according to Gareth. You could see the wheels turning in Morgan's head as he invited you guys to go back to the house with him.

Gareth scrunched up his nose. “Doesn't that one bitch live there? Fuck that,” he snorted.

“I kicked her out,” you said as you took a bite of your donut.

“Wait, I thought she kicked you out.”

You explained the situation to Gareth as Morgan chuckled, him and Isaiah gathering their things. You texted Sin and Pink, letting them know you wouldn't be at the house that night before picking up your own things and heading over to the counter. You paid for one more hot chocolate, giving Muffet a hug over said counter before waving. Gareth and Mouse followed suit, grabbing one more drink before running after the three of you.

You wrapped your arms through Isaiah and Morgan's, both of them on either side of you as Gareth and Mouse walked ahead of you. You paused, pursing your lips before you sighed, moving to get your arms back.

“Where ya going, birdie?” Morgan asked, causing the group to stop.

“Ah, I should probably grab some clothes from Sin and Pink's house before we get too much farther,” you huffed, rubbing your hands together.

“What happened to living with the boys?” Isaiah asked, leaning on you. “Y'all get into a fight? Do I need to kick their...shit, what are skeleton asses called?”

Mouse laughed while you chuckled, shrugging your shoulders. “Either way, no. Everything is fine. They're going through some personal things, so they wanted me out of the house so I didn't get dragged into the middle.”

Hey, it was partly true. You just weren't going to mention at least half of them wanted to drag you through it.

You all changed directions, everyone complaining about the cold as you all hurried to the house. You felt your phone vibrate in your hand before Sin's ringtone began.

_“Here comes the smolder...”_

You laughed as everyone glanced at your phone with wide eyes. You answered it with a, “Can I help ya?”

“ah, cutie, it's so good to hear your voice!” Sin sounded happy when he spoke, and you smiled. “i just wanted to let you know i got your text, but if you wanna take your friends to our house, pink and i agreed that would be alright. just don't tear it up.”

“Ah, no offense, Sin, but I think I need away from skeleton anything for a while,” you chuckled.

“If they're offering the house we're going to, we're staying!” Gareth called back.

You smacked your forehead as you heard an intake of breath over the other line. You paused in your tracks as you looked at the phone strangely. “Sin, are you okay?”

“you're with guys?”

At his curiously jealous voice over the line, you rolled your eyes. “Oh, for fuck's sake, yes. Morgan, Gareth and Isaiah. Gareth's girlfriend is also with us. Isaiah's girlfriend couldn't make it and Morgan and I don't want each other like that.”

His chuckle was rich as sin as it came through the phone. “ah, just pulling your leg, cutie. if ya wanna use the house that's fine. in fact, i might swing over for a moment before i continue over here.”

“Alright. We'll be there soon.”

You hung up with him as you pranced back toward the group. You didn't realize you slowed your walking as you spoke on the phone, but you must do that out of habit. You always slowly walked when talking to someone.

When you caught back up to them, you almost ran the rest of the way to the house to get out of the cold. The five of you then began having a mini race, with you being the victor and laughing as you fell against the door. Which opened and caused you to screech and fall on your ass inside.

“oops. sorry, cutie.”

There was laughter in Sin's voice as he moved to pick you up the floor. You were still laughing even as Sin invited the others inside the house. Everyone went through the motions of taking off their coats and shoes, looking around at the spacey home. Gareth looked over at Sin, squinting his eyes at him.

“I don't think I met you at the zoo,” he said. He stuck his hand out, grinning. “Name's Gareth.”

Sin practically purred as he took the man's hand. “sin.”

His eyelights went to Mouse, who was hiding behind Gareth and you stifled a laugh as Sin nearly groaned. “That's Jenna. I call her Mouse, though,” you said, heading to the living room.

“you are a gorgeous girl,” Sin sighed, hand over his sternum. “my soul is weak in your presence.”

“Wow. You are so over dramatic,” you grumbled as Morgan laughed and Mouse fidgeted under the attention.

Gareth laughed. “My girlfriend is a wonderful little thing, isn't she?” he cooed, leaning down to kiss her on her head.

Sin hummed as he went to follow the rest of you into the living room. Everyone gathered on the couches and such with Sin sitting next to you. You threw your legs over his femurs and his hands rested on them. You smiled as the rest introduced themselves, and you chuckled when Morgan groaned as Sin hit on him the hardest. Isaiah chuckled, nudging him and telling him he knew he was gay.

“Listen, Seven, I will end you,” Morgan whined. “I'm not about that life.”

“if i remember correctly, i saw you getting cutie here the night she was told some stuff,” Sin said, tilting his head.

“That's me,” Morgan agreed.

The others looked around, but you didn't elaborate as you turned to Sin.

“He's the one I jam out with on Saturdays. It's the same night Edge, Mutt and Stretch do their thing at the bar, too,” you explained softly.

Sin's eyelights flashed as he looked at you. You smiled and shook your head. There was no way you were singing right now. Mouse looked over at you and Sin, her eyes narrowed before she smiled a little and whispered something to Gareth. But Gareth was barely paying attention. He shivered when you mentioned Edge.

“Isn't he the same skeleton that threatened to use my entrails as a noose to string me up?” he grumbled.

I sputtered out a laugh. “W-what?”

He told them then, of the story of the zoo. I had forgotten I hadn't told Morgan and when he looked at me at the end of the tale, I fidgeted under his stare. I knew I would have to explain later, but for now, I moved my legs before planting my butt right on Sin's lap.

No one made a comment as he grinned up at me, too caught up in the way Gareth was impersonating Edge. Morgan was having a riot with it, nodding and wheezing. Sin's arm curled around my waist, and brought me more snugly against him as his hand settled on my hip. He leaned up, his breath warm and tickling my ear as he spoke to me.

“you alright, cutie? pink wanted me to check in on you, and the others wanted to make sure you were okay.”

You smiled and nodded. “I'm alright,” you whispered back. “Mostly bored without the chaos of the house.”

Sin chuckled and moved away, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “i can understand that. it won't be much longer, then you can start getting ready for thanksgiving.”

You scrunched you nose up as you thought about that. Thanksgiving would be the week after their heats all settled, and you had no idea if you should bring any of them or not. You knew some of them wanted to go, but you weren't sure if you should bring any of them. Your mother would throw a huge fit while your father took the brunt of it.

Your Mamaw and Papaw would be there, though, and you had some aunts and uncles and cousins who would show up. You smiled and nodded at Sin. He nodded back, moving so you were back on the couch and stood.

“please don't trash my house,” he said. “if you do, i'll have to have edge hunt you all down.”

Gareth visibly paled and you snorted a laugh as Sin left through the front door, calling back a “be safe!” before it shut. You turned back to the others, watching at Gareth sputtered out something. You laughed with them, shaking your head and turning on the TV for some background noise as all of you talked well into the evening.

–

Over the course of the next couple of days, you spent a lot of time with the five of them. Morgan had ended up bringing his guitar by after class the one day and you two had been caterwauling so bad – on purpose – that when Isaiah came through the door, he turned on his heel and walked right back out.

Your sides were in pain from how often you laughed.

You were moving through the house now, picking up random things here and there. Gareth was in the kitchen, grumbling about needing his coffee before starting his day. You heard Mouse laughing softly and could imagine running her hands through his hair. You smiled as you went into the kitchen yourself, laughing as you watched him fiddle with Sin's coffee machine.

“Move, before you break it,” you chortled.

He did, and you managed to fix what he was doing, shaking your head. When you explained what you were doing while you did it, you noticed Mouse was paying rapt attention as where Gareth looked like he was going to pass out standing up. So you directed your instructions for Mouse instead.

He only mumbled when you handed him the cup. You hid a smile behind your hand before making your own cup, humming to yourself and checking your phone. You frowned though, pausing in your stirring as you clicked on your voicemail.

_**“Y/n, you really do need to learn to answer your phone,”**_ your mother's voice came through the phone and you cringed. _**“Call me back. I need to discuss Thanksgiving with you.”**_

You deleted the voicemail, shaking your head as you grabbed your coffee and headed into the living room where everyone was gathered. Morgan sat with his guitar next to him, but when he saw your cup of coffee in hand, he damn near tripped over himself to get to the kitchen. You laughed loudly, earning you a curse.

You tossed your phone on the coffee table in front of you before sitting on the couch, taking the first sip of the coffee in your hands. You moaned as you tilted your head back and you heard Mouse giggling into her cup of tea next to you.

“Coffee isn't sex,” she said, looking between you and Gareth.

“It is to me,” you mumbled into the cup.

Her squealing laughter made you smile as you kept drinking your lifeline. Morgan came back with his, scrubbing a hand over his face. He sat back down, almost chugging half of it and groaning as he put the cup in his lap. You smiled at him.

“So, are we still going later this week, or are we gonna wait until your little buddy can come see?” you teased. “He's been dying to see you and hang out with you.”

“I know,” Morgan sighed. “I gotta make sure my classes are all still in order for next semester before I can take a breather.”

Gareth nodded, looking at you. “Speaking of classes, which ones are you taking next semester.”

As the five of you went through lists of classes, your phone started vibrating. You ignored it, clicking one of the buttons to make it stop. It stopped a few seconds later, only to start up again. I glanced at the screen, wrinkling my nose at my mom's picture on my phone.

I slid the red button before leaning back and chugging the rest of my coffee. At least, until she called _again_.

“Oh, for fuck's sake!” you exploded.

The others looked at you in sympathy as you answered the call, putting her on speaker. You placed the phone back on the table and looked at the others with a finger to your lips. They all nodded as you cleared your throat.

“What, mom?”

She huffed. “You could at least act like you enjoy talking to your mother,” she said, sighing. “I've been trying to get a hold of you for plans for Thanksgiving.”

“I already said I'd be there, mom,” you groaned, leaning your head back. “What more do you want?”

There was a moment of silence before you heard your dad's voice through the speaker. He didn't take the phone from your mother – heaven forbid that ever happens – but you did hear him telling her to tell you something. You furrowed your brow and leaned closer to the phone, like everyone else was doing.

“Alright, alright!” your mother hissed.

“Be nice to dad,” you said automatically, placing your coffee cup next to your phone. “What do you want? I have to get ready for the day and I have errands to run.”

Totally a bullshit lie, and the others around contained their snickers behind their hands and throw pillows. Your mother let out a curse before she took in a deep breath so loud you could hear it through the phone.

“Your father said he would like to meet a couple of your... _friends_ ,” she practically spat the word. “Same thing with your grandmother and grandfather. So, I'm letting you know that I will set four places for them. So only four of them can come.”

“Alright,” you said. “Then I'll call you or text you with who will be coming and meeting you guys.”

“Of course,” your mother said quickly, “you'll need to bring one more person.”

I felt like I was going to be sick. I shivered and Mouse placed a hand on my arm as she smiled at me.

“You can't fucking mean that bitch?” you spat. “I'm not bringing Daisy anywhere near that house. She's fucking shady, mom.”

“No she isn't, and I don't care. Either she comes with you and your friends, or none of them are allowed in my house.”

“It's dad's house, first of all,” you snapped. “Secondly, the fact you would rather have her in 'your' home rather than your own daughter with friends who actually care, is disgusting.” You grabbed your phone. “I'll see you on Thanksgiving.”

You hung up the phone without waiting for her answer and threw it on the ground, cursing up a storm. The others were all shaking their heads and Morgan had even stood up and was pacing. Isaiah, having now witnessed you and your mother's relationship first hand, looked at you with wide eyes before sputtering out something.

“What in the fuck was that?!” he asked. “I couldn't have heard that right!”

“'fraid ya did,” you mumbled, snagging your cup. “I need more fucking coffee.”

Once you had settled that and you went back in the room, everyone had shifted around and you smiled as Morgan brought out the guitar. Mouse was looking over a paper curiously, and you plopped down next to her. She tilted the paper toward you and looked at you in askance. You nodded, leaning back and taking a sip of your coffee, grabbing your phone from the ground.

While you went through to tell Sin and Pink the news, Morgan strummed his guitar and you listened closely as Mouse's voice carried over everyone.

_“I was listening to the ocean_   
_I saw a face in the sand_   
_But when I picked it, oh_   
_Then it vanished away from my hand_

_“I had a dream I was seven_   
_Climbing my way in a tree_   
_I saw a piece of heaven_   
_Waiting impatient for me, along_

_“And I was running far away_   
_Would I run off the wall someday?_   
_Nobody knows, nobody knows_   
_And I was dancing in the rain_   
_I felt alive and I can't complain_

_“But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I can't take it anymore.”_

You put your phone down, leaning back in your seat with your coffee. Steam rose from it the same way Mouse's voice rose with the song. You smiled as Gareth beamed in pride, and Morgan's eyes were on her. Isaiah was leaned forward in his seat. All eyes were on her, and she looked completely comfortable and in the zone.

_“I was painting a picture_   
_The picture was a painting of you and_   
_For a moment I thought you were there_   
_But again, it wasn't true_   
_And all this time I have been lying_   
_Oh, lying in secret to myself_   
_I've been putting sorrow on the forest plains_   
_On my show, da di da_

_“And I was running far away_   
_Would I run off the wall someday?_   
_Nobody knows, nobody knows_   
_And I was dancing in the rain_   
_I felt alive and I can't complain_

_“But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I got no other place to go_   
_But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I got no other place to go_   
_But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I can't take it anymore.”_

Her usually soft voice rose and fell. The only time you ever heard her voice past a whisper was when she was singing. She didn't do it often, and not around people she wasn't comfortable with. She didn't know Morgan very well, let alone Isaiah, but you knew with Gareth next to her, she was at her best. Gareth always brought out the best in her.

And that's what made them such a stunning couple. Sure it was the cliché of the golden god dating the shy and quiet bookworm, but they worked for each other. He brought out the best in her, and she brought it out in him. You had learned along the way that she was the only reason he was still in school and trying as hard as he was.

_“But I kept running_   
_For a soft place to fall_   
_And I kept running_   
_For a soft place to fall_   
_And I kept running_   
_For a soft place to fall_   
_But I kept running_   
_For a soft place to fall_

_“And I was running far away_   
_Would I run off the wall someday?_

_“But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I got no other place to go_   
_But now take me home_   
_Take me home where I belong_   
_I got no other place to go_   
_But now take me home_   
_Home where I belong_   
_No, no, no_   
_Take me home, home where I belong_   
_Oh, oh_   
_Take me home, home where I belong_   
_No, no, no_   
_Take me home, home where I belong_   
_I can't take it anymore.”_

After she was done, there was a small applause. She blushed and chuckled, hiding her face in Gareth's chest as he stroked her hair away from her burning face. You laughed, drinking your coffee before you saw your phone screen light up.

The boys were gracing you with a slew of messages again, and you were definitely not opening any of them up while everyone was sitting right here. You turned your phone over, ignoring the looks you were getting from the others.

Instead, you directed the talk back to what you were planning on doing Saturday. When Morgan asked if the boys would be there, you shrugged. You really doubted it, given that their heats would either still be in full effect, or were just coming off of them. You didn't really think they'd try to chance it, knowing you'd be there.

Then again, a few of them had tried to get you to do otherwise. You shivered and looked out the window, wondering if Mutt was stalking around the house looking for you. You truly hoped not. You should have asked Sin or Pink if the skeleton in question had been taken care of already.

Instead, you went over a set list and the five of you argued which songs would be best. After two hours of this, you threw your hands up, groaning.

“Someone order food if you're all going to argue with me!”

“Ain't none of us got the money for that,” Gareth muttered. “I'm starving myself.”

“Then It Looks Like I Showed Up Right On Time.”

You squealed, thankful you had put your cup down as Pink came into the living room. His pink eyelights took in the state of his living room and he frowned. When he looked at you, you grinned and shrugged.

“Sleepovers aren't neat, dude,” you quipped, causing the others to chuckle.

“Ah, I Can See That,” he muttered before he straightened. “I Came By To Make Sure You Were Alright. I Figured You Might Want Something To Eat, So Sans Gave Me This To Give To You.”

Pink held out a card to you, which you took cautiously. You nearly threw it like a ninja star when you saw it was one of those black cards that held thousands of dollars. All of the others were looking at it like they couldn't believe it was right in front of their faces.

“Take it back,” you said immediately, holding it out for him.

Pink shook his head. “I Won't Do That, But May I Talk To You Privately?”

You frowned, nodding. You grabbed your phone and coffee mug and made your way into the kitchen with the Papyrus. Once there, you put your cup in the sink before turning it on to wash it.

“So what's going on?” you asked quietly.

“Sans Wanted Me To...Warn You,” Pink sighed. “Apparently, Before Their Heats Hit, He And Some Of The Others Were Working On The Machine That Brought The Lot Of Us Here And Said It Was Acting Funny.”

_“might be even more who pop in; we have no clue.”_

Rus's words ring in your head and you blew out a breath. This was not what you wanted right now. It was already bad enough that you couldn't see the others, even though part of you really wanted to chance it. But what if another pair just...popped in while this was happening and you were the one that had to do something about it?

Well, shit. That put an extra damper on your mood. But instead of voicing it, you turned off the sink and smiled up at Pink.

“Alright, tell him I said thanks for the head's up.”

Pink grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek. When he straightened, he left, bidding your friends goodbye. You frowned when you heard the door close. There were a few whispers before it fell silent and Morgan appeared in the archway of the kitchen. You looked at him and gave him a shaky smile.

“Birdie?”

“Why is this shit so complicated?” you griped, your hands shaking.

“Talk to me,” he whispered, wrapping you in his arms and hugging you.

You spilled the beans, making sure to be quiet and taking in a few breaths when you told him of your worries. When you finally fell silent, he pulled back. He grabbed your face and tilted your head up so you could look at him. There was a softness on his face, a gentleness in his eyes that you craved from your boys.

“It'll be alright,” he soothed. “If anymore come through, we'll do what we can until the boys can clean it up.”

You nodded and the two of you went back into the living room. You made sure to let the others know you were alright and that it was nothing serious. But you weren't so sure. It was serious enough that Sans had gotten his head out of his haze and told Pink to tell you. Did that mean that you would have more bond mates?

Christ, what was this going to do to the multiverse? Wouldn't this shit collapse on itself by this point?

Instead of thinking about it right then and there, you used the new card to your advantage, ordering food for everyone while your thoughts ate away at you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Mamaw in this is based after my own grandmother. "Old lady", "bratly", and "woman" were her nicknames for me. I've had her on my mind lately, and I decided to carry her on. She's not only here, but also in the story I've been working on for years. She will forever live on in my stories and my heart.
> 
> Hold the ones you love close to you. You never know when they'll leave.
> 
> Same thing with my Papaw. He passed away eight years ago, but it still feels like he just left. He loved his John Wayne movies to death, and he loved to sew and read his Bible. He was my hero, through and through, and my Mamaw was like my mother.
> 
> I'll see y'all beauties next week. <3


	21. Worries and Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have another dream.  
> You talk to Red for a bit.  
> You and Morgan talk a little more.  
> You spend some time with G.  
> You spend some time with Dusty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I suck at chapter titles, okay? Eat me, Hasslehoff. (Bonus cookies for whoever knows where I got that line from.)
> 
> This weekend was absolute garbage. And I'm ready to curl up and ~~cry myself to~~ sleep.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy your nights/days/afternoons/mornings. <3
> 
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_You were flying. You were soaring so high in the sky, and you weren't even in an airplane! And while you had a fear of heights, the claws holding you were steady, the arm wrapped around your waist better than a seat belt. You could feel yourself laughing as you dipped through the clouds and seemed to chase the sun. Black wings flapped around you, lifting you higher. His goggles were over his sockets, and you had a spare pair from his brother over your eyes. His hoodie was fluffy as hell, almost like feathers. When he dove for the earth, you squealed, your feet almost lined up with his slippers. You could feel the claws from them poking your leg._

_You were handed off to another one, this time with wings that looked like they were made of snow. You were soaring higher and lower, each gasp of breath a laugh and an awe of wonder. His loud voice carried easily over the rush of wind in your ears. While you seemed to be moving away from the sun, you could see the first one waving to you, lazily floating in the air by flapping his wings as little as he needed to you. Your arms wrapped around the cervical vertebrae as you were carried higher into the sky, right before your vision went black._

You shot up from the bed with a gasp. You looked around, your heart pounding in your ears as you gripped the front of your shirt. You tried to tell your soul to calm down, but it wasn't enough. It was probably why your phone started ringing. Cursing, you reached for it, rubbing your eyes as you checked the time.

It was only three in the morning. You had been asleep for two hours. You didn't bother checking the ID as you slid the green button.

“Hello?”

“kitten, 're ya awright?”

Red's smooth voice seemed to settle a part of you. You slumped down, groaning as you ran a hand over your face.

“I'm fine. Just had a strange dream. Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be...taking care of business?”

He chuckled, and you felt your toes curls from the deep tone. “nah, 'm already taken care o'. most o' us 're. sin an' pink worked with stretch, boss an' mutt first so they could do their singing thin' they like t' do. jus' in case they weren't done with everyone b'fore then.”

You made a little noise in the back of your throat. You looked around the dark room. It was lonely, suddenly. As you laid back down, you let out a little sniffle. Shocked, you lifted a hand to your face and pulled it away; there was a lone tear that trekked down your thumb and onto the sheets below you.

“kitten?”

“Ah, sorry. I'm here,” you said hurriedly. “So, like, how fine are you?”

“m' heat's all gone. basically, 'ts jus' a way t' get th' extra magic out. once 'ts gone, th' heat 'n our bones vanishes an' we're jus' 'bout back t' normal.”

You took a second to think about what he said before you sighed. “That's good. So almost all of you are alright, then?”

“yeah .think th' only ones left 're sans, papyrus an' dusty. though i think they're _doin'_ dusty t'day,” he cracked up at that last sentence.

“That was horrible, even for you,” you groaned. “Jesus.”

“nah, kitten, name's red.”

You rolled your eyes and turned onto your side. You looked out the window and smiled to yourself. “I'm gonna try and sleep again. Thanks for checking in.”

“no problem, kitten. 'f 't hadn't been me, it'da been one o' th' others,” he said, shrugging it off.

You smiled. “Night, Red.”

“night, kitten.”

You hung up. You placed your phone back on the nightstand and curled around a stray pillow you had been snuggling with. There was a small tear you could see on the tip of your nose and you sighed, wiping it off with the back of your hand.

You really did miss them. It was nice being with the others for a bit, and you enjoyed having your time with them while the boys are...busy. But you missed having the chaos of the house surrounding you. You missed waking up to the sounds of the louder boys, or being dog piled on by the the quieter ones. You missed gaming out with them, or just lazing around because all of you are bored as hell.

You buried your face in the pillow and let out a slow breath. God, what was wrong with you? You had never been like this during a relationship. But now you felt like you were being clingy, or just all around too much. You sniffled and let out another long, slow breath.

You just needed to sleep it off. You'd see them soon. If Red was right, then that meant Edge, Mutt and Stretch would be preforming this weekend after all.

The thought made you smile a little as you shut your eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.

–

The next afternoon, you went downstairs to see that Mouse and Gareth had already left for their classes for the day. You didn't have any, so you watched as Morgan flipped himself off the couch and Isaiah snorted himself awake. You laughed as you made your way into the room.

“God, why are you sleeping this late? Don't you guys have classes soon?” you asked, bending down to start cleaning the living room.

You hadn't really meant to create a “base of operations” in Sin and Pink's house. You crinkled your nose as you grabbed another empty bag of chips and went to the kitchen to throw your growing trash pile. You just grabbed the entire can and brought it with you to the living room as you continued cleaning.

The boys helped you out a moment later, finally dragging themselves from the couches to get rid of the mess the five of you had created. After a moment, Isaiah pulled his shirt on over his head and you waved bye to him as he jogged from the house. He had classes, and judging by how fast he was going, he was going to be extra late.

That left you and Morgan. You finally cleaned up the trash and he took it out while you straightened up the rest of the room. Blankets back where they belonged, pillows in their right places. The tables were straightened back out. You sighed, plopping onto the couch and rubbed a hand over your face.

You had gotten a little more sleep, but you had been tossing and turning most of the night. That dream left you absolutely baffled, and you didn't know if it was because of what Pink and you discussed, or if it was because you were missing your boys.

You paused. _Your boys._ A little smile crept on your face. You knew them well enough, but you barely knew Dusty, and you didn't exactly know the other three that were in the files. Your mind went back to what your Mamaw and you discussed.

She had basically said the same thing Morgan said. More than one? But what would you do with _twenty-five_ of them? Not to mention, what if more come through? And they feel the bond like the others? There's no way that could freaking happen! How many more could even possibly come through? How many timelines were even out there?

You didn't want to think about that right now.

Morgan came back inside, shivering as he slammed the door shut. When he came back into the living room, he plopped next to you on the couch. His arm wrapped around the back and his played with the end of your hair. You glanced at him and smiled a little.

“Are you okay, birdie?” he asked quietly, though it was only the two of you in the house. “You seem out of it.”

You took in a deep breath and mentioned the dream you had last night. Which also led you telling him about the dreams you had before about the boys that were already sucked into this timeline. He paid rapt attention, nodding. An unlit cigarette was bobbing between his lips as he listened to you. When you were finally done, you groaned.

“Why is this so complicated, Morg?” you asked. “I can't keep gaining these new guys. I already have so much on my plate, not to mention I need to get another job so I'm not being a burden on my boys. Plus, Christmas is next month. What the fuck am I supposed to get for everyone? Especially now that I don't have a freaking job!”

“Birdie.”

Morgan's sharp tone cut you off and you looked over at him. You didn't realize you had been crying until he leaned forward and used the ends of his hoodie to wipe the tears from your cheeks. His face was set in stone, but there was a soft look in his eyes as he looked at you. He brought you to him, gathering you in his arms in a hug. You hugged him back, sniffling.

“One thing at a time, alright?” he murmured. “I think you and the more...scientific of the boys should sit down and discuss some things, alright? As for your...mass amounts of suitors. Get to know them. Like I told you before. Don't rush things, alright? Get to know them each on a personal level.

“Don't follow a schedule with them. Take your days with them one at a time. Train with Edge, dance with Serif and Tango. Garden with Papyrus and Blue. Do them at your own pace, rather than on a weekly thing. Don't forget to take days for yourself, and me, of course. Don't forget about the human side of your life, alright?”

You nodded. You laid there with him like that for a little while longer, basking the warmth that was your friend. A _real_ friend. You were thankful for Morgan in more ways than one, and you never really showed your appreciation for him. But it didn't matter. You knew he knew, and you both knew that one might be lost without the other.

It was nice being able to tell someone you loved them, and it was entirely platonic. It was nice being able to snuggle with someone, and they never expected anything out of it. The two of you were thick as thieves and you planned on being that way for a long time.

After a while, you both moved. He propped you back up, but didn't let you go. When you looked at him, he got a serious expression on his face before he spoke.

“So. That zoo trip, huh?”

Shit.

–

When your next class day rolled around, you caught sight of one of the skeletons you didn't see very often. You paused, watching as G came up to you. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he strolled with an easy gait. When he stood in front of you, his grin was contagious as he opened his arms.

“no hug for me, angel?”

You laughed and threw your arms around him. It had been a minute since you last saw him. He smelled of pineapples and leather, a strange combination. But then again, the others all had weird combinations. He lifted you, causing you to squeal and wrap your legs around him. The backs of your knees settled perfectly on the arches of his pelvic bone.

“glad to see you're this happy to see me,” he chuckled as you pulled away.

“What are you doing here?” you asked. You paused then, glaring at him. “Thought all of ya were in heat?”

G shook his head. “Pink and Sin already took care of me.”

You wanted to ask, you really did. But you kept your mouth shut. And the look on his face told you he was waiting for the question, but you held your tongue. Instead, you wiggled until he put you back down on your feet. You straightened your clothes and fixed your hair before looking at him again.

“So then what brings you to this part of town?” you asked, moving to walk to your class.

“thanksgiving is coming up,” he said, shrugging as he fell into step beside you. “while we don't really celebrate it, sans likes to bring all of us around for the holiday so he can see how we're all doing.”

You hummed, nodding. “So, I'd get to meet the others then?”

“more than likely,” he answered. “chances are, hunter won't be there, though.”

“Why not?”

“he prefers his solitude.”

You shrugged it off. The two of you talked as he walked you to class, asking how you had been and where you'd been staying while the boys were in heat. You told him what you had been up to, and that you were doing better now, minus what Sans had told Pink to tell you. But apparently, he hadn't gotten the memo yet.

G scowled. “he still hasn't stopped fiddling with that damn thing?”

“He's trying to fix it to send all of you home,” you pointed out lowly, waving to an old classmate. “So of course he's still fiddling with it.”

G shook his head, but didn't comment further on it. He listened to your explanations and smiled when you told him your worries. He damn near had a nonexistent heart attack when you told him about your meeting with Dusty. Much like the others, he had told you to be wary of him.

When you got to your class, you lifted your arms and smiled up at him. He only grinned back, wrapping you in another hug and stepped back.

“i'll pick ya up after class, alright? we'll go grab something to eat, sound good?” he asked.

You nodded, waving as you turned into your class. G watched you go, a smile on his face until the door closed behind you. Once it did, his scowl returned and his teeth ground together in irritation.

He had to be kidding. The classic little shit had to be kidding. As he made his way through the school to go find a good place to wait for you, he clenched his hands in his pockets and blew out a long breath. He had to try and calm down before your class was up. He didn't want to be moody when you got out.

As he sat at a table that was unoccupied, he scrolled through his phone, letting the horniest skeletons he knew that he had you. Or, well, he was at the school. They really treasured you. Usually, Sin and Pink were all about finding a human playmate and that was it. They had gone through fifteen of them, at most, before they realized they had a bond mate. And when they did, they stopped all of their activities.

He could probably say that about everyone, himself included. The only ones who didn't really...indulge, were Sans himself, Papyrus and some of the more...tame skeletons. Stretch did something with a human once, then that was it for him. Blueberry definitely hadn't had that kind of experience yet. G sighed, shaking his head.

He should confront Sans about that stupid machine. It was already bad enough there were so many of them there already. Anymore, and it could fuck up the multiverse. He understood the little shit wanted his dad back. Some of them really did. But at the same time, he didn't think it was for the best. Gaster was where he was. Once you went into the Void, there was no coming out.

The only way there would be even a _smidgen_ of a chance of more 'verses coming together would be if he reversed the stupid thing _again_. Which meant he had gone behind G's back and he and Red were fiddling with the stupid thing to bring back his dad before sending them all home. And that wasn't going to fly in G's book. G wanted to get back to his Frisk.

He frowned. She would be the only one in the Underground now. His soul hurt when he realized that she was left all on her own without a way to get a hold of him. Or without anyone there to ease the loneliness. She would be fine, though. She knew their mission, and he was sure she hunting for the CORE in their universe as he sat there.

But it had been years. A few of them had mentioned friends they wanted to get back to. A few of them had lovers in their universe, and a few were still fighting to get above ground. The only ones he knew that didn't want to go back were Axe and Dusty. Then again, in their circumstance, G could sympathize.

He also couldn't help but wonder what would happen with you once everyone _did_ get to go home. Would you stay here, in your own timeline? Or would you bond with one of the others? Would you go with a different pair of brothers, or himself or Hunter or Dusty? Would you try to figure out a way to still get to see them all.

Would they still remember you?

He didn't know, and he didn't care. Right now, he was here to enjoy the food coming soon. And to enjoy your company. He didn't get out this way often with how busy he can get with work. His eyes shot to the doors where he waiting for you.

He really wanted to get out here to see you more often. Now that you knew he was from a different universe, and that you were bond mates, he could actually talk to you. And you could actually get to know him. Just like he could get to know you. The others hadn't said much, but they did mention you had been down in the dumps almost a week ago.

Sans also mentioned that bringing up your mother was a sore subject and to try and avoid it. He scowled, tapping his phalanges on the table in front of him. He didn't like way the woman sounded. Sans only described her a little bit, but he didn't like her already.

When you came out of the doors, you saw G laying his head down in his arms on the table. You smiled and went over to him, plopping into the seat beside him. He jumped a little, his head lifting quickly as he looked around. When those yellow eyelights landed on you, he gave a sleepy smile as he stood. You followed his lead.

The two of you spoke quietly as you made your way to a fast food place. Once you both ordered and got your food, you sat down and unwrapped your first burger.

“so you had another dream?”

You nodded. You had told him about the dreams you had a while ago, about what you assumed was all of them, even the ones you hadn't met yet. Then you had mentioned you had another one, but with only two other people and that was it.

“It was strange, because I didn't find him in the notes,” you said around your food. “So my guess is maybe another one who might come through?”

He shrugged. “it is possible.”

“Why am I even having them?” you mumbled.

“it's your soul's way of telling you that it recognizes us as bondmates, and potential soulmates,” G explained, munching on one of his fries. “and if you're having more than just ones about us...”

“Then the machine could be spitting more out at any time,” you sighed, rubbing your forehead. “Christ, where does Sans plan on keeping these guys?”

“guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

You rubbed your forehead. There was too much information at one time, and you just wanted a damn break from all the craziness. Maybe you'll ask your dad if you could use the beach house for a day or two.

...or a month.

You sighed and smiled over to the skeleton in front of you. “Since I don't get to see you often, tell me more about you.”

He raised a brow bone at you. “more?”

“I read the files, G,” you pointed out. “So I know some things, but I want to hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak.”

He chuckled and nodded. “right, i understand.” He leaned forward. “so then tell me what this file said about me, so i know where to start.”

You explained the little notes you had gotten from his page in the notebook. When you finished, he nodded, brushing the salt from his digits before taking a sip of his drink. He seemed to think about what he was going to say before he sighed.

“so as i'm sure you are aware, us sans and sans personalities are very scientific,” G started. You nodded. “well, at one point, all of us worked with our fathers. for the swap verses, i'm not sure who that would be. but for the rest of us, it was a man named gaster. he was the royal scientist at the time, and, like i'm sure in all universes, was working on a way to break the barrier. my gaster was working on an experiment that had to do with determination.”

“You mean DT?”

“correct. something went...wrong. horribly wrong.” You saw an array of emotions crossing his face before he sighed. “something happened, and gaster and sans...were fused. thus, creating me.”

“Which is why you're even here,” you murmured, the wheels in your brain turning. “You're still Sans. Just not...compeltely.”

“correct again, angel.” He smiled a little, then frowned. “when i woke, everyone was gone. it was only frisk and i. and frisk was...ahem, much older. like, legal older.”

“Ohh.”

“but the core had...disappeared. she could find it, using the magic of her determination. but every time we got close...it vanished. it was like it was everywhere, but it was nowhere at the same time. while we were looking, i was also trying to get used to...well...this.” He waved a hand at himself. “and right when i thought we would finally get it, and reset the timeline...”

“You were brought here,” you said softly, your heart tugging at the sad expression on his face.

“i was brought here.”

You reached over the table and took his hand, holding it palm up. The circle in his palm sill intrigued you, and you ran a finger delicately around it. Your head tilted and you hummed, playing with his phalanges much like you had with Sans when you first met him.

They weren't like usual human hands. The bones were fused together – by magic, you assumed – and you noticed that they were perfect circles in his palms. Nothing jagged or cut sharply. The bone was warm and smooth under your touch, and a small smile was on your lips as you ran the tips of your fingers over the bone.

G stayed still as you played with his hand. You found he seemed to have a really sensitive spot on his wrist bone, and you chuckle when he jerked. You looked up through your lashes to see him staring down at you, eyes wide and grin easy.

You looked away and took your hands back. “Sorry. I did the same thing to Sans when I first met him,” you chuckled softly. “Well, after the initial first three weeks of 'fuck you're a human ewh gross don't touch me'.”

The skeleton in front of you laughed, shaking his head. You smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear as the two of you gathered trash, getting up to throw it away before stepping back out into the cold.

“i gotta get back to the others now, but lemme know when you make it to the boys's house, alright?”

You nodded, giving him one more hug. But neither of you let go for a while, basking in the other's warmth. You felt G inhale quickly, as though taking in your scent. You smiled and took in one last whiff of pineapple and leather before moving back, giving him a wave and turning on your heel to walk back to the Lust brothers's house. It took everything in you not to turn back around.

Once you made the trek back, you opened the door and stepped inside quickly, almost slamming the door shut in the process of closing it. You shivered, taking off your boots and coat, quickly putting your scarf on the rack beside you before heading into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. You always loved that shit in the winter time.

“there you are.”

You screamed, picking up the pepper shaker and throwing it. And epically failing, missing your target by at least a foot. Dusty looked at the shaker as it clattered on the ground before looking up at you with a blank look. You gave a weak shrug, keeping your eye on him as you leaned against the counter.

“I don't think you're supposed to be here,” you said bluntly.

He shrugged. “i'm not supposed to do a lot of things.”

You rolled your eyes and, deciding the worst he could do was kill you, turned your back to him. You prepped milk in a pot, pouring in a decent amount before placing it on the stove. You set the temperature to low, humming as you pulled out a couple of packets of hot chocolate from the cupboard above you. You could feel Dusty's eyelights on your back, but you tried not to pay him any mind as you grabbed two mugs.

“So why are you here?” you finally asked.

“...wanted to see what you were doing.”

You chanced a glance at him over your shoulder. “I was at school.”

“you were late coming back.”

You narrowed your eyes slightly, moving your eyes up and down his figure. Your entire body was tensed and you couldn't help but hear the part of your brain that was screaming “DANGER!” at you. But instead of listening to it, you scoffed, turning back to the packets of hot chocolate and pouring the powder in each up.

“How would you know?”

“paps.”

He didn't say anything else, and the memory of his file made you feel nauseous all over again. You swallowed the feeling, taking in a breath through your nose and nodding, not saying anything more. You didn't trust your voice, and you didn't want to give away your fear. You knew he was a bondmate, but you couldn't trust him not to try and hurt you.

But you were still willing to give him the same chance you gave to Axe and Crooks. Like with them, you couldn't understand where Dusty was coming from, but maybe you could learn? Who knew.

You watched the milk boil slowly before you brought it off the burner, holding each mug over the sink before pouring some in each and setting them back down on the counter. Once that was taken care of, you brought out a spoon, stirring each quickly before putting the silverware in the sink and grabbing one. You turned to Dusty, holding it out for him to take.

He seemed taken aback, like he hadn't expected you to do anything nice for him. But, slowly, he took it, eyeing you as you took your own and went past him into the living room. You didn't hear him for a moment, until you heard him muttering something before you heard his footfalls behind you. You couldn't help but wonder if he was talking to that Papyrus bust again.

Part of you didn't really want to know.

You settled on the couch, tucking your feet under you as Dusty went to sit at the couch on the other side. You couldn't help it as you stared at him, eyes narrowed a little. In turn, he turned his heterochromic eyes to you. They seemed to study you, his head tilted as he brought the cup to his teeth.

“paps said you seemed upset,” Dusty said suddenly.

You almost dropped your phone, in the middle of telling G you had made it back to the house. You looked up at him, blinking. You sent the message, sighing and putting your phone down on the table. You traced the rim of your own cup before taking a sip yourself.

“Well, I wouldn't say upset,” you said softly. “Just...conflicted?”

Dusty hummed, his head tilted like he was listening in on something. When he focused back on you, you had to resist the urge to ask what was going on with him. Maybe he was just talking to his Papyrus. The thought slightly unnerved you, but you steeled yourself against it.

“i know i'm not exactly...the best mate material...” Dusty said slowly, as though testing the words on his tongue. “...but i'm willing to listen? that's what bondmates do, right?”

That last question was aimed at the empty spot to his right. You took a drink of your hot chocolate and when you lowered the cup, almost coughed it all back up. There was the bust again, floating to the right of the skeleton you were talking to. You made eye contact with the strange, floating Papyrus. And you watched his sockets widen as he seemed to say something. But you couldn't understand what he was saying.

But Dusty could. And said skeleton was looking between the two of you with his own wide sockets before keeping them on you.

“...you can see him.”

It wasn't a question, but you nodded anyway. “Not...not all the time. But here and there, I can catch glimpses of him.”

May as well be honest with him. You didn't see a point in telling a lie when it was obvious his Papyrus could tell you could see him. You rubbed the back of your neck as Dusty seemed to take in the information before letting out a loud laugh.

It startled you. You jumped in your seat as he set his cup down, continuing to laugh as he covered his face with his hands. Papyrus looked down at him, floating until he was on his left now, a ghostly hand coming to rest on the still living brother's shoulder. Dusty didn't move or stop laughing, and it sounded like was boarding on manic.

Papyrus looked to you now, blinking his sockets slowly.

_“He..lp him...plea...se.”_

You gasped now, almost throwing your hot chocolate to the ground as you jumped. He had talked to you...and you heard it. You swallowed, but you were worried as you looked at him. He must be getting into a fit. You didn't know much about what his file meant, but you would be damned if you didn't give him a chance.

“Hey...uh, Sans?”

That worked. His head snapped up to you, and his eyelights were small as he looked at you. You steeled yourself as you slowly stood, aware of his eyelights on you the entire time. You slowly approached him, hands held out to show you weren't going to do anything to him. Instead, you slowly sat beside him, placing one of your hands on his femur.

His reaction gave you whiplash. He went from manic staring to his arms wrapping around you. They were tight, and you were brought into his lap. You didn't know how to react, but touching and holding you seemed to be calming him down. The quick breathing you had barely noticed was evening out and you saw the ghost of his Papyrus come a little closer to you.

One of his hands reached out to brush a stray lock of hair away from your face and he grinned at you. You tried your best not to flinch at the icy cold touch, but you did smile back. It must be something neither of them saw very often, but why did it send him into a mild panic attack? And why did he laugh?

“...sorry,” Dusty said beside you. “just not...used to people being able to...see him...”

You noticed he tended to pause a lot when he spoke. Maybe he was just uncertain about how phrase things? You didn't know, but you would definitely need to get to know him better if you were going to give him the same chance you gave Axe and Crooks.

“Dusty.”

He looked up at you from half closed lids. You smiled down at him and awkwardly patted his arm, taking in a deep breath.

“I meant what I said the other day. About wanting to get to know you,” you murmured. “I gave Axe and Crooks a chance and, yes,” you said, halting what he was about to say, “I know about them eating humans. I already spent some time with them, and got to know them. I would...like to do the same with you. Only, not when you're still partially on your heat.”

He chuckled, opening his arms to let you go. You already missed the weird combination of smells he had. You still sat next to him, taking his hand in yours and smiling up at him.

“...sounds good, lilac,” he finally said. “can...can ya call me sans when it's just us, though? i really hate the name dusty.”

You smiled, reaching up to give him a small kiss on the cheek. “You don't even need to ask, Sans.”

Neither of you spoke, but you did turn on the TV for background noise as Papyrus floated closer to it, looking at it curiously. You smile as he tried reaching for the remote. When he mentioned a cooking channel, you turned it there.

Even in ghost form, Papyrus loved his cooking.

A few hours into silent snuggles with Dusty, your phone went off. You went to get up to get it, but watched as it was encased in a lavender glow before lifting from the table. You blinked momentarily before looking at the skeleton you knew to be responsible. He just shrugged, his right eye glowing lavender as well as your phone was deposited on your lap.

You didn't look at the ID on the phone as you answer. “Ebott City Morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em. Who we icin' today?”

“that was absolutely horrible.”

You laughed at Sans's voice. He was grumbling about something, and you heard Sin and Pink in the background saying their goodbyes. You adjusted yourself on Dusty, feeling his arm wrapping around your shoulder as you held the phone between your face and shoulder.

“So what's up?”

“just letting you know everything is done over here,” he sighed. He sounded exhausted. “so you can come back whenever.”

“Ah, I can't,” you said as Pink and Sin popped into existence in front of you. Both of them startled to see you curled up to Dusty. “I promised Sin and Pink an extra day with them since they were called away to take care of you lot.”

“it'da been better 'f ya had stayed!” you heard Red calling.

You let out a slight laugh, shaking your head. You told Sans you'd return the next night after you got done with show time. After bidding him and some of the other boys goodnight, you hung up. Sin was watching Dusty with quivering eyelights and Pink had moved off to head upstairs to put their duffels away. You waved at Sin.

“Hey, hottie.”

That snapped Sin out of whatever he was in and he grinned at you. “hottie, huh? i can take it.” His eyelights snapped to Dusty and he pointed a finger at the skeleton beside you, who had opened his maw to say something in turn. “don't you even dare, dust.”

Dusty chuckled, holding up both hands, palms outwards. You shook your head and leaned your head on Dusty's shoulder. His phalanges were tracing over your skin absently, as though he enjoyed the feel of your skin. You guess you could understand. All of the boys could be like that. You remember the one day you had caught Edge doing it after training and it was slick with sweat.

When he was called out, he had called you an imbecile and said it would never happen. Fucking tsundere, as usual.

Sin took a seat on the couch you had abandoned, looking at the cups curiously. You sighed and explained how you ended up in this position, but you left out the panic attack part. You had a feeling if you mentioned it, Dusty wouldn't be allowed around you for a while.

The three of you were watching TV when Pink came back down. He smiled and announced he would start dinner. As he exited and entered the kitchen, you moved away from Dusty for a second before glancing at Sin.

“So what do you have in mind for hang out day tomorrow?” you asked. “I did some cooking with Axe and Crooks. I dance with Serif and Tango, obviously.”

“it's a surprise.” He winked at you, only causing you to roll your eyes at him as you settled against Dusty once more. “but i'm sure you'll enjoy it.”

“I hope so.” You sighed, rubbing your head. “Just gotta make sure I'm back by like, eight or nine. I go live tomorrow with Morgan and his buds.”

“you sing?” Dusty asked, finally looking down at you.

You nodded. “My...mother insisted on making me learn a lot of different things. Dancing and singing were two of the things that really stuck with me.”

“any siblings?”

“No.”

The harshness of your tone and the finality of it had the two of your bondmates looking at each other. But you didn't notice as you took in a deep breath through your nose and let it out through your mouth.

As far as you were concerned, you were an only child.

Neither of them commented on it, and you smiled up at them when you told Sin about what you had been doing in the meantime. He seemed to get along with Morgan just fine, so you invited him and Pink to the bar to hang out and watch the show. You even invited Dusty along, which made everyone in the room pause.

Oh, stars, what now?

“do you...mean that?” Dusty asked.

You nodded firmly. “Entirely. Axe and Crooks go. So I don't see why you can't either.”

Sin suddenly started laughing, and you glanced over at him. His face was covered in lilac blush again as he covered said face. You looked between Dusty and Ghost – as you decided to call him – and even Pink when he came to see what the commotion is about. Sin sucked in a deep breath, cackles and chuckles still coming from his teeth.

“at this rate,” he choked out between gasping breaths, “half the bar is gonna be your date mates!” And with that, he started wheezing again.

And you could see why. The image of your skeletons – and humans – sitting among the population in the bar had you laughing too, covering your own face. Dusty was chuckling beside you, and Papyrus looked positively giddy over the sound. Pink just shook his head, moving to head back into the kitchen with a grin on his teeth.

After Dusty ate dinner with the three of you, he vanished back to his own neck of the woods. The smell of dust and eucalyptus followed him, and you kind of missed it, but you weren't about to tell him that.

The rest of the night was spent curled up with Pink and Sin as they told you how the boys were doing. You smiled, even as your eyes drifted closed. You didn't want to admit it, but you were ready to go back to the chaos. You...

You really missed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dusty: she's a useless worm, paps. i don't need a fuckin' mate like her. she's nothing, she sucks --  
> Readz: *admits to seeing Ghost*  
> Dusty: *heavy breathing* holy shit she's fuckin' perfect --


	22. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go on a date with Pink and Sin.  
> You get to sing with someone special.  
> Stretch asks you something before going to the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick. Again. Like, horribly sick and I can't even deal with this right now. xD I fucking LOST MY MF VOICE.
> 
> My family had Thanksgiving today instead of Thursday since some of my family won't make it then. It was hard since it was my first Thanksgiving without my Mamaw around and it was **hard**. I asked to leave early since I was sick, and because my depression was getting the better of me. My aunt got really mad at me for it, but oh well.
> 
> I also finally figured out how to do links here, thanks to one of the other fanfiction writers on here! WOOT.
> 
> [Here's the Tumblr to follow!](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)  
> [Here's Echo's story I beta!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245132/chapters/50584904/)
> 
> **Songs in Chapter**  
>  _Earned It - The Weeknd_  
>  _Give It Up - Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies_  
>  _No Air - Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown_

When you woke up the next morning, you were hit with waves of text messages. There were some from your mom demanding to tell her whom you were bringing, other than that snobby bitch. You just told her you'd know by tomorrow.

When you scroll through the other messages from the guys, you couldn't help but smile. They definitely seemed more themselves, and you sighed as you sat up in bed, muttering to yourself. You looked around the room you had been occupying, smiling a little before throwing your legs over the side of the bed and heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

When you exited, Sin was sitting on your bed, scrolling through his phone. He looked up and grinned at you as you came through the room in a towel, holding it to you as you went into the closet to pull something out for the day.

“sure ya don't wanna just wear that?” Sin asked in mock hope.

You laughed, throwing a hanger at him. “I'm sure. What do you need?”

“paps just wanted me to make sure you were awake.”

With a wink, he was gone, the static charge in the air quick as he vanished. You rolled your eyes skyward, silently asking to whoever was up there why they did this to you. Nonetheless, you shook your head, grabbing a sweater from the closet before heading over and grabbing a pair of leggings and your bra and panties.

The leggings had some kind of fluffy stuff in them, keeping them extra warm. You grinned, putting your bra on before shoving the sweater over your head. Once you had everything straightened out, you added a little pin to your hair, a star, before you grabbed your phone and wallet and headed out.

When you made it downstairs, Pink whistled at you, his eyelights roaming your form. Sin was doing the same thing, and you could have sworn there was a line of lilac drool dribbling down his chin. But just as quick as you thought you saw it, it was gone. You hid a giggle behind your hand as both came over and squished against you.

“Come Along, Then,” Pink chuckled.

You followed the boys out of the house, only pausing so Pink could lock it up. You smiled as he rejoined you and Sin, one boy on either side. Your hands were in theirs, kept warm by their heat. You kept trying to ask the boys where they were taking you, but neither of them said anything as they dragged you to, what you now realized, was a store.

Not just any kind of store. A clothing store. You paused, dragging them both back a little before they tightened their grip on you. You looked between the two of them in confusion before they gave a gentle tug. It was still gentle enough that if you didn't want to go in they wouldn't make you. But they wanted you to for something.

You sighed, following them into the store and glancing around. It was a pretty big place, but you started to notice the familiar spider webs in the corner and the splashes of purple and black around the shop. When you noticed the spiders, you grinned and looked around for the monster in question.

“Ahuhu~! There you are, dearie!”

You turned to Muffet, smiling. She was behind the counter, two of her hands working on a garment and another set waving at you. You let go of their hands to head over to the counter, leaning on it like you would at the one in the bakery.

“Muffet! What are you doing here?”

“Why, dearie, I run this shop, too!” she giggled, giving you a pat on the head. “What brings you three in today?”

“we wanted to get her something to wear for her concert tonight,” Sin said shrugging. “we're gonna take her out somewhere else here in a little bit.”

All of her eyes seemed to twinkle as she looked between the three of you and she grinned, her fangs poking from under her top lip as she put down what she was doing. She then came around the counter and took your arm, dragging you over to an entire wall of punk rock type of clothes. You waved your hands.

“I-it's not a big deal!” you squeaked. “I don't need these clothes; I already have plenty.”

“You Wore The Same Jeans Three Days In A Row,” Pink huffed. “If You Had Plenty Of Clothes, Then Why Wear The Same Pair?”

Muffet paused and glanced down at you. You fidgeted, sighing. You didn't want to tell them you didn't have the money to always go clothes shopping. Jeans were expensive, and could get really pricey depending on where you went. You were always wary about grabbing new clothes because of it.

And you weren't going to ask your parents for money. That's why you'd had a job to begin with. To pay your own way through college and do what you wanted with it.

“plus, she was fired the other week because of some family issues,” Sin added in softly. “so this is supposed to help cheer her up.”

“Now who would fire such a wonderful girl like Y/n?” Muffet demanded, letting your arm go. “That just sounds like a crime in and of itself.”

You shifted and rubbed your wrists together as you told her a mild telling of what happened. You didn't go into full details, but with the way she was looking at you, you knew that she knew you were holding something back. But she didn't pry. Instead, she took your hand and bent down on her knees until she was eye level with you.

“How about a job here, dearie?” she asked. “I could use the help. And between running the boutique and the bakery, my hands are full! And I have six of them!”

You giggled as she waved them in the air until what she asked struck you. You glanced at her with wide eyes and she nodded. She was serious. You grinned up at her, nodding furiously as she chuckled. The boys next to you were chuckling too as she stood back up, glancing around the store.

“Then, as your first day here, all of your clothes will be one hundred percent off,” she declared. “Can't have my employee looking like a mess, now can I?” She winked at you.

The next three hours were _grueling_. You went through so many outfits, and a majority of them ended up in a keep pile. There were a few they didn't agree with and Muffett usually took them from you and went off somewhere with them, humming to herself.

Despite feeling bad that you were getting a huge selection of clothes, you kind of enjoyed it. You took care to remember each style of clothes the boys preferred and tried to get a few things that suited each of them for when you went out with them.

By the time you were done, Sin was taking so many trips to and from the house to drop off the bags. And each time he came, back he was laughing harder. When he was finished and everything was rung out, you asked why he was laughing so hard he was crying and wheezing. A skeleton who didn't need to breathe was _wheezing_.

As the three of you left the shop, with Muffet telling you to be there on Monday for your first shift, he explained to you what had him basically dying in the middle of the road. According to him, the boys were watching as he came and left with confusion mounting. What had him laughing so hard were the expressions as he continued going even after bags ten through thirteen were dropped off.

“it was so great,” he cackled. “honestly, they just looked so surprised, and then the older brothers were trying to dig through everything and the younger brothers had to haul them away and it was just fantastic!”

You smiled as the three of you made your way down the road. They told you that they wanted to take you to their own hangout, and if you were uncomfortable with it, they would take you home. And you could see why they thought that way. It was a freaking strip club!

But it was still early enough in the day that there was no one there, and the owner had let them inside without much care in the world. Sin winked at you as you slowly followed them into the building, looking around and eyeing all of the décor in the building. If it hadn't been for the randomly placed poles throughout the floor, you would have thought it was just another club for people to go to. But you should have known this was their usual hangout.

“Alright, boys, I'm heading out for a few hours,” the owner said, tossing them a key. “If you leave soon enough, make sure you lock up, okay?”

“We Know, Mags,” Pink said, lightly shoving her out the door. “Now Go Get Some Sleep Before Your Shift Tonight, Okay?”

The woman nodded, shot you a wink and left, humming as the door closed behind her. You sighed, looking around you as you went further into the building. It was nicely set up, with couches and love seats set up. There were tables everywhere, and there was a glowing bar packed full with alcohol and the like. You went to sit on one of the seats and Pink sunk into the seat beside you.

You glanced around, frowning. You didn't see Sin anywhere and when you looked at Pink, he simply shrugged. He handed you a cup and you took a small taste, humming when you found it was your favorite pop. You set it on the table right as the lights dimmed and a song strummed through the speakers.

You practically spit out the beverage, glancing to your left. “Papyrus...”

He only grinned and curled his arm around your shoulders, bringing you closer to his side. You squeaked, still barely resisting the urge to touch the pink abdomen he always had summoned. Didn't that take a lot of magic to continuously have around?

You recognized the track from one of the movies your mother loved to gush about to her stupid friends. You found the entire movie horrible, honestly. From what you had done research on, and experienced yourself, Fifty Shades of Bullshit was...well, bullshit. I was still in firm belief that it was only “acceptable” because the dude was rich. If he had been some random dude that didn't have that type of money, it would have been another episode of Criminal Minds or Law and Order.

A light in front of us turned on, showing Sin as he strut forward, confidence radiating from every bone in his body. You were wide eyed as he paused and ran his hands over his hip bones for a moment before coming forward again.

_“You make it look like it's magic_   
_'Cause I see nobody, nobody but you, you, you_   
_I'm never confused_   
_Hey, hey_

_“I'm so used to being used_   
_So I love when you call unexpected_   
_'Cause I hate when the moment's expected_   
_So I'ma care for you, you, you_   
_I'ma care for you, you, you, you, yeah_   
_'Cause girl you're perfect_   
_You're always worth it_   
_And you deserve it_   
_The way you work it_   
_'Cause girl you earned it, yeah_   
_Girl you earned it, yeah.”_

You watched as he came forward, his foot hitting the ground on each word until he came to the pole. He gripped it in a tight fist before giving a slow spin around it. When he came back to where he started, his back was to the pole, and his eyelids were lowered as he watched you. His body seemed to move with the music, his hips swaying in time with the slow beat.

_“You know our love would be tragic (oh yeah)_   
_So you don't pay it, don't pay it no mind_   
_We live with no lies_   
_Hey, hey_   
_And you're my favourite kind of night_

_“So I love when you call unexpected_   
_'Cause I hate when the moment's expected_   
_So I'ma care for you, you, you_   
_I'ma care for you, you, you, you, yeah_   
_'Cause girl you're perfect (girl you're perfect)_   
_You're always worth it (you're always worth it)_   
_And you deserve it (and you deserve it)_   
_The way you work it (the way you work it)_   
_'Cause girl you earned it (earned it, yeah)_   
_Girl you earned it (earned it, yeah).”_

Your eyes were riveted to him as he turned back to the pole, pulling himself up. His legs wrapped around it and slowly spun when he made it halfway up before locking his ankles together and letting his hands move from the pole, bending backwards.

He spun around and you squeaked when Pink lifted you from your seat, placing you on his lap so you were closer to the stage Sin danced on. The shorter of the two was grinning, reaching out his hand and brushing it along your cheek as he passed.

He lifted himself back up, giving a shove with his legs as he spun around again with just his hands before stopping himself and climbing up the pole.

_“On that lonely night (lonely night)_   
_You said it wouldn't be love_   
_But we felt the rush (felt the love)_   
_It made us believe it there was only us (only us)_   
_Convinced we were broken inside, yeah_   
_Inside, yeah_

_“'Cause girl you're perfect (girl you're perfect)_   
_You're always worth it (you're always worth it)_   
_And you deserve it (and you deserve it)_   
_The way you work it (the way you work it)_   
_'Cause girl you earned it (girl you earned it, yeah)_   
_Girl you earned it (you earned it, yeah)_

_Nana nana_   
_So girl you're worth it_   
_The way you work it_   
_You deserve it_   
_I can tell you.”_

He let himself spin around once more, landing firmly on his feet as he kept his hands attached to the pole. One hand let go and grabbed your chin. Your eyes watched his hollowed, purple hearts flash briefly before he leaned in close, and murmured the last four lines into your ear.

Pink kept you still by your waist. You shivered in their hold and you swallowed thickly when the music ended. Sin moved back slowly, grinning down at you. Your face was hot, and you gave him a shaky smile in turn. The lights turned back on slowly and the song changed to something else.

Sin swung himself around the pole once more before hopping from the stage and landing next to you and Pink. You were sure your face had lit up like a Christmas tree. He chuckled and moved you from Pink's lap to his own, leaning back in his seat as he nursed a drink that had been on the table for him.

“so what did you think, cutie?” he asked playfully.

“Ahah, I, uh...” your voice shook and squeaked, causing the two of them to chuckle more at your expense. You groaned and buried your face in your hands. “It was great.”

Your voice was muffled by your hands and both boys cooed at you. You felt your shoulders bouncing in laughter as Pink scooted closer and both of them nuzzled against you. You, admittedly, have done dances that could be considered risque and “dirty”, but you never did them in front of anyone. And you most certainly has never had anyone do them _for_ you.

“Alright, alright. Enough teasing the human!” you laughed, pushing them both off of you. When they both moved back, you blew out a breath. “Can I...ask you guys some questions?”

“About What, Candy?” Pink asked, his head tilted.

“About your...universe? Timeline? Whatever you wanna call it.”

The two looked at each other and you looked between them before they shrugged and sat back in their seats. Sin still held you around the waist, though, and Pink moved a hand to play with your hair.

“so, what did the file tell ya about us?” Sin asked.

You rattled off the little bit of information you did get from reading their files. How instead of determination, their...young adult was filled with lust. How it was the Royal Harem. You looked between them, wholly confused when they rolled their eyes.

“while the others had children, in our universe, the kid wasn't a kid,” Sin said.

“Chara And Frisk Were Both Eighteen At The Time They Fell,” Pink said, nodding. “And Instead Of Determination, They Were Filled With Lust. We Do Not Know Why. But It Did Help Us To Try And Up Our Numbers.”

“I did notice the file said something about your numbers dwindling,” you murmured.

“being locked down there for so long,” Sin said, looking up at the ceiling, “that people were losing hope. and losing it fast. it caused a lot of the monsters to dust. it got so bad that the king and queen did something they didn't wanna do. it ate at tori so bad, she ran.”

“Losing hope caused that?” you asked, frowning. Sans never mentioned losing something as simple as hope could dust someone.

“Ah, That's Right. You Don't Know Very Much About Monsters,” Pink said, nodding. “That Will Be A Lesson For Another Day. For Now, You Asked About Us.”

“when everyone was injected, it was basically a literal fuck fest,” Sin snorted, a tight grin on his face. “everyone was in an insane amount of heat. it caused one monster to...hurt mettaton. our mettaton isn't as sexual as the one here is.”

Your heart leapt to your throat and it felt contricted as you tried to swallow the lump. Someone hurt their Mettaton? Granted, you never actually met this universe's Mettaton, but Papyrus loved the hell out of him. You shook your head, fighting back the burning in your eyes.

“The King Took Care Of Them,” Pink said, laying a hand on your head. “No Need To Worry.”

“the royal guard became the royal harem,” the shorter brother muttered. “it was the highest rank you could achieve, being part of that. it's the same as the royal guard, just...an actual harem.”

They explained more to you. And you sat there, hands in your lap or playing with Sin's fur on his vest as he spoke. You felt Pink tugging on your hair every now and then and you would look between the two of them as they talked.

The music was low in the background, but there were a few that you recognized and caught. You would bob your head while listening or you would tap your foot in the air. Sin and Pink both noticed, but neither made a mention of it as they explained their universe to you.

From what you could tell, it was almost the same between this universe and theirs. The only real difference was the fact that Chara fell with lust, rather than determination. And Mettaton had suffered something awful, and it was the Royal Harem instead of the Guard. Chara falling at the age of eighteen rather than as a kid – same with Frisk – seemed to really shape their tale.

And you enjoyed it, like you had enjoyed listening to G talk about his universe the day before. It really helped you learn about them. You learned of them as duo, before you learned of them as a single person. You had a lot of boys to go through.

But that single thought put a damper on your mood, and it didn't go unnoticed. Pink sighed and pulled you from Sin's lap. Instead, you were now nestled between them, leaning against Pink's side and your legs draped over Sin's lap. They both looked at you as you buried your face in your hands, shaking.

“I'm overwhelmed,” you whispered. “I have all of you, and I'm so happy about that. But then I learn there could be more on the way and I just... _fuck_ , what do I do?”

“oh, cutie.”

“Candy.”

You looked over at Pink's voice as Sin rubbed comforting circles on your legs. You kept your face buried in your hands, trying to think rationally. Both of them spoke to you quietly, murmuring to you and whispering. You shook in their hold before Pink folded you in his arms, nuzzling the top of your head.

“It's All Your Decision To Make, Candy,” he sighed softly. “You'll Know What To Do.”

“How?” you whimpered.

“your soul will tell you,” Sin said, nodding as you looked at him. “believe it or not, your soul knows a lot of things. that's how people find the ones they just _know_ they're supposed to be with. or the friends you see always talking to each other and enjoy each other's company, even if it's quiet. there's more than one type of soulmate, more than one type of bondmate.”

“That's Why Polyamory Is A Huge Part In A Monster's Life,” Pink said. “Well, Maybe Not Normally, But The Soul Can Call For More Than One At A Time.”

“That's just so weird,” you groaned, laughing. “I just...I don't want to fuck anything up.”

“and you won't,” Sin said, moving your hands from your face. He grinned at you, purple eyelights flashing. “you'll do wonderful, cutie. we believe in you.”

–

After the talk with Sin and Pink, you stayed around for a little while longer. But once you checked the time, you groaned, muttering that you had to get back to the house. You knew you were going to want to be there early enough to not only shower and get ready, but you knew the boys would be all over you the second you got in the door.

Sin dropped Pink off at home, but not before the taller brother wrapped you in a hug and said he would see you once more at Thanksgiving. When Sin popped back in front of you, he wrapped you in his arms, whispering to hold on tight and not to let go.

You clung to his front as he teleported the two of you. When you felt your feet on solid ground again, you peeled yourself away from the skeleton, giving him a smile before the sound of feet sounded in the house, coming down the stairs at a break neck pace.

Oh boy.

You turned just in time to get tackled by a blur of blue stars and a red scarf. You fell to the ground with a grunt, and you couldn't help but laugh as you were suddenly surrounded by many skeletons, all of them talking at once. You couldn't make out a thing they were saying, but you enjoyed the attention nonetheless.

“see ya later, cutie!” Sin sang. “hope to hang out again soon!”

With that strange static charge of magic, he disappeared, and you wished you could have said goodbye before he left. The boys were being pulled off of you and you held a hand out to grip the clawed hand that was now helping you steadily to your feet.

“nice t' see ya, kitten,” Red said, sticking his hands in his hoodie pockets when he let go. “'ave fun wit' th' perverts?”

“OF COURSE SHE DID!” Blueberry said excitedly. “BUT SHE'S HAPPY TO BE BACK WITH US! AREN'T YOU, Y/N?”

God, those eyes. How could a skeleton give puppy dog eyes like that? It was pulling at your heart strings. You smiled a little, blowing a small breath out through your nose and placed your hand on his head.

“Of course I am,” you told him. “I missed you guys.”

There were a bunch of coos as they surrounded you, giving you a giant skeleton hug. You saw there were a few off to the side and managed to make your way out of the circle of bones to head over to another one. You went to hug Sans before there was a loud crash and you winced as the door was thrown open.

“OUT OF MY WAY, YOU INSOLENT CRETIN!”

Blackberry's voice carried through the house and you looked around the gathered skeletons to see that Crooks was pushing aside his brother's lookalike to come to you. You were scooped up into a hug and you laughed, even as Blackberry growled at him. Mutt was there, helping him stand upright as Axe came through the door, whistling and chuckling.

How does a freaking skeleton _whistle_?!

“WELCOME HOME, COOKIE!” Crooks practically screamed in your ear in your excitement.

Instead of telling him he almost made you go deaf, you wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing your cheek to his zygomatic arches.

“It's good to be home, Crooks,” you murmured.

When he finally set you down, you were ushered into the dining room. You laughed, trying to wave them off and telling them you didn't really do much while you were away from the house. You weren't going to tell them that you missed the chaos; that would just encourage it more! You waved them away and tried to convince them you had to go get ready for tonight.

Stretch snagged you before you even hit the stairs. You nearly jumped on the orange clad skeleton, who caught you with ease and little “nyeh heh”'s of laughter.

“What's up, Stretch?” you asked, moving away.

“ah, look,” he said, sticking his hands in hoodie pocket. “i know you sing with morgan and them, but we didn't get much done considering...y'know. the heats.” You nod, letting him know you understood and for him to continue. “i was wondering if you could help us with one of our pieces? we've gone over it numerous times and we just...haven't had the female counterpart to work with, y'know?”

“Let's see it.”

The two of you went upstairs and you paused by his door as he entered his – wow...his room was messy. Your eyes nearly bugged out of your head as you looked around it and you paused when you saw him staring at you. He grinned and waved you inside.

“You sure nothing is gonna eat me in here?”

He opened his jaw to say something before he snapped it back closed. He shook his head as though he was trying to tell himself no and you walked into the room, leaning against the dresser as he went through a folder on his nightstand. When he found what he was looking for, he held it out for you to look through, going over the notes and humming it to yourself before nodding slowly.

“I can work with this,” you said. “Yeah, I'll help.”

With a relieved breath through his nasal cavity, he let you go on your way. You headed up to your room, almost groaning as you collapsed on the familiar bed. It was just so comfy you were about to tell them all you couldn't make it. You didn't want to go now.

“...so this is your room?”

You squealed, taking your wallet and throwing it at Dusty, who was sitting at your desk. He leaned back, easily avoiding your toss as though it was nothing. You groaned once more.

“Dusty, you need to learn personal space,” you muttered. “Can I have a moment of peace?”

“not in this house, lilac,” he said, nodding to himself.

You could see Ghost, floating next to him. You smiled as he came over to you. Your shoulders tensed, but he seemed slow down when you did. He held up his hands and you watched as he seemed to come to eye level with you.

_“Am...Sorry. Brother Is...Nosy...”_

“...don't got a nose, paps.”

You threw your hands up in air as you sat up. Why was this _one joke_ haunting you? Dusty stood and made his way over to you and Ghost. You tilted your head as he stood in front of you.

“What's up? Did you need something?”

“...were you serious when you invited me to the bar thing tonight?”

You nearly broke from the lost expression on his face. You nodded, taking his hand trying to forget the gritty feel of dust. You twined your fingers with his, smiling as you heard voices coming up the stairs and the pounding of feet again.

“Of course I was serious,” you said softly. “I want you to come. Will you?”

“absolutely not.”

Dusty tensed, almost cutting circulation off from your fingers as you peered around him. Papyrus, Sans and Serif all stood there. The shorter two had their arms crossed and Papyrus was wringing his gloves together. You could see Stretch poking his head around the corner before his eye sockets narrowed at the skeleton standing in front of you.

You stood, trying to take your hand back, but he wasn't letting go. So, you kept his hand in yours as you glared at the four them while they glared at him. You tilted your chin up in the air.

“Suck it up, buttercup,” you said. “He's allowed to come, just like Axe and Crooks. I'm not having this argument with you. Not when you and I need to have another discussion, _Sans_.”

Sans narrowed his eyes at you now, but you held your ground. Serif leaned over and said something to him that had him backing down, noticeably deflating and groaning. He ran a hand over his skull and waved his hand.

“fine, but he's being watched by someone just like axe and crooks,” Sans tiredly muttered. “let's all get ready to go. you and the others gotta be there soon.”

–

“Yikes. Sounds like Sans really doesn't trust any of those three.”

Morgan was standing next to you as you applied a tad bit of eyeliner. You had told him a little bit while Isaiah and Terrence went to set some things up. Gareth and Mouse were here tonight in the crowds, to test it out and see how it went. Stretch, Mutt and Edge were elsewhere, probably talking to their brothers.

“I understand why,” you sighed, capping the makeup. “Don't get me wrong on that. But he can't keep them locked away like that. It'll only make them go more insane!”

“You're such a good little bondmate,” Morgan teased, ruffling your hair.

You laughed, fighting him away as the two of you made your way to the stage. Your new shoes thudded against the wooden stage as you waved to the boys in the back. The rainbow of eyelights were looking back at me, including a pair of heterochromatic eyes. I smiled as I saw the way he leaned easily in the chair next to Axe and Crooks, both of whom had chosen a different table from the others.

While you and Morgan sang together, you watched as Mouse whispered something to Gareth, who nodded and kept his eyes on the stage. You grinned as you saw her slip away and enter the backstage area, knowing you had a little gift for Morgan for putting up with all of your shit. You danced around him and Isaiah, leaning against him and Terrence as you sang your heart out. It felt so good being back in the swing of things you almost didn't notice when it was time to bring Mouse out.

“Now, now, Morgs,” you said into the mic, leaning on him. “I got somethin' special for ya tonight.”

There were a few whistles and cat calls, causing you to laugh as he looked up at you. Right as Mouse walked on stage. The cat calls doubled, and you saw Gareth do a double take. Hell, your boys did, too. They hadn't met Mouse yet, but you could see Sin and Pink nodding in appreciation as she grabbed the microphone from Morgan's stand.

“Can we get the track I handed you, DJ?” you called out.

The music started, and you laughed as Mouse shifted from foot to foot until you shot her a nod. Her voice carried through the bar over the loud applause and whistles.

_**(Mouse)** “Someday I'll let you in_   
_Treat you right_   
_Drive you outta your mind, ooh.”_   
_**(You)** “You never met a chick like me_   
_Burn so bright, I'm gonna make you blind._

_**(Both)** “Always want what you can't have_   
_Is it so bad if you don't get what you wanted?_   
_Make you feel good, as I whip you into shape_   
_Yeah, boy, let's get it started_

_**(Both)** “Give it up_   
_You can't win_   
_'Cause I know where you've been_   
_Such a shame you don't put up a fight_   
_That's a game that we play at the end of the night_   
_It's the same old story but you never get it right_   
_Give it up.”_

You and Mouse danced around with each other. Morgan was laughing into his hands while shaking his head. The two of you went to him as the chorus hit, each leaning on a shoulder as the two of you belted the lyrics out into the microphones. He peeked out at you, his eyes twinkling as you chuckled.

You walked around him again, throwing an arm around Mouse as the next verse came out.

_**(Both)** “Come a little closer, baby, baby_   
_Come a little closer_   
_Come a little closer, baby, baby_

_**(Mouse)** “So stop trying to walk away_   
_No you won't ever leave me behind.”_   
_**(You)** “No, you better believe that I'm here to stay **(Mouse:** that's right)_   
_'Cause you're the shade and I'm the sunshine, ooh._

_**(Both)** “Look at me boy_   
_'Cause I got you where I want you_   
_Isn't it so exciting?_   
_Wanna shake you, wanna break you_   
_Take the back seat, boy, 'cause now I'm driving_

_**(Both)** “Give it up_   
_You can't win_   
_'Cause I know where you've been_   
_Such a shame you don't put up a fight_   
_That's a game that we play at the end of the night_   
_It's the same old story but you never get it right_   
_Give it up.”_

You jangled his keys in front of his face, which he cackled and snatched them from you. You rolled your eyes as you and Mouse faced each other, singing as you went back and forth. Adrenaline filled you as you watched her come out of her shell slowly.

The two of you made your way around the stage, tapping your shoes on the wooden stage and hanging off of Morgan.

_**(Both)** “Come a little closer_   
_Come a little closer, baby, baby_   
_Come a little closer_   
_Come a little closer, baby, baby_   
_Come a little closer_   
_Come a little closer, baby_   
_Yeah, you are my baby, and I'll make you crazy tonight_

_**(Both)** “Look at me boy_   
_'Cause I got you where I want you_   
_Isn't it so exciting?_   
_Wanna shake you, wanna break you_   
_Take the back seat, boy, 'cause now I'm driving.”_

The look on Morgan's face was perfect as the two of you went back and forth in perfect harmony. You worried for a moment that her nerves would make her mess up. But she was in the zone as she moved her hips back and forth and swished her hair around. You laughed as the two of you bumped hips, grinning ear to ear like an absolute moron.

_**(Both)** “Give it up_   
_You can't win_   
_'Cause I know where you've been_   
_Such a shame you don't put up a fight_   
_That's a game that we play at the end of the night_   
_It's the same old story but you never get it right_   
_Give it up.”_

By the end of the song, there were whistles and applause everywhere. You could see your boys in the back cat calling out to you, waving and winking. You even saw G there, in the corner and clapping his hands slowly. His yellow eyelights were piercing in the darkness as you took Mouse's hand, squealing and hugging her tight.

The three of you left the stage and when you went to follow Mouse out, a hand grabbed you and pulled you right back around again.

“an' where d'ya think you're goin', brat?”

The smell of hickory filled your senses as Mutt's voice washed over you. You turned to smile at him, shrugging.

“Habit.”

He chuckled as Edge came over and looked over your wardrobe. You had gone with a pair of ripped skinny jeans tucked into ankle boots that had a bit of a heel to them, and a loose tee shirt with the front of it tucked into the pants. You were wearing your necklace and earrings as usual, and your hair was a disaster of curls from dancing around.

“THIS WILL DO, I SUPPOSE,” he said, moving past you to the stage.

You and Mutt both rolled your eyes as Stretch chuckled, moving past the two of you. Mutt held you back again as you went to follow him. You looked at him over your shoulder, head slightly tilted.

“What's up?”

“just wanted to let y'know the duet you're doin' is with me. that alright?” he asked, frowning.

“Obviously,” you said, nodding. “Go out there and get ready. I'll be right here until it's my turn to come out on stage, alright?”

He nodded, leaning down and pressing his teeth to your cheek in a kiss. You smiled, blushing a little as he made his way to the stage. Edge was standing there impatiently, tapping his foot before heading behind his drum set.

It was interesting to see them from this angle. From here, I could see the way Edge's eyelights moved over the different drums and cymbals. The way Mutt tapped his foot to the beat and seemed to sway when he strummed. And how Stretch seemed to move forward and back again, as though trying to keep his balance. But always in time with the song.

You smiled at them when they would glance at you. But what nearly gave you a heart attack was when Edge shot you a wink. Your face heated up and you sucked in a breath as you were waved to the stage again, being handed Stretch's mic.

“Yeah, hi, sorry,” you told the crowd, shrugging. “Just me. Sorry to disappoint.”

There was a round of laughter and you heard Morgan call out to tell you to shut your mouth. You flipped him the bird, which caused another bout a laughter. Mutt and Stretch switched places. Slowly, the music picked up behind the two of you, and you grinned as Mutt wrapped his arm around your waist.

_**(You)** “Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air?_

_**(You)** “If I should die before I wake_   
_It's 'cause you took my breath away_   
_Losing you is like living in a world with no air, oh_

_**(Mutt)** “I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave_   
_My heart won't move, it's incomplete_   
_Is there a way I could make you understand?_

_**(Both)** “But how_   
_Do you expect me, to live alone with just me?_   
_'Cause my world revolves around you_   
_It's so hard for me to breathe_

_**(Both)** “Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air?_   
_Can't live, can't breathe with no air_   
_That's how I feel whenever you ain't there_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_Got me out here in the water so deep_   
_Tell me how you gon' be without me?_   
_If you ain't here I just can't breathe_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_No air air, No air air.”_

You swayed with him for the first bit. Until the bridge hit, and you were almost shouting into your mic. You pulled it away from your mouth a little as you let the lyrics ring around you. It almost like you didn't even need a mic to portray the song as you and Mutt sang to each other.

It was like everyone else was fading out, and you could only see this amber eyed, dog like skeleton. He took your hand and brought it to his teeth in a gentle kiss before letting you go once more, letting the song continue.

_**(Mutt)** “I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew right off_   
_The ground and float to you_   
_There's no gravity to hold me down, for real_

_**(You)** “But somehow I'm still alive inside_   
_You took my breath but I survived_   
_I don't know how but I don't even care_

_**(Both)** “So how do you expect me to live alone with just me?_   
_'Cause my world revolves around you_   
_It's so hard for me to breathe_

_**(Both)** “Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air?_   
_Can't live, can't breathe with no air_   
_That's how I feel whenever you ain't there_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_Got me out here in the water so deep_   
_Tell me how you gon' be without me?_   
_If you ain't here I just can't breathe_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_No air air, No air air.”_

During his part, Mutt ran his hand over your cheek and you could have melted from the touch alone. You smiled when you felt Stretch move up next to you, leaning down to give you a kiss on the cheek. You went over to where Edge was coming behind him and leaning your face down. And to your shock, again, felt him give you a kiss on your opposite cheek.

With a red face and a few more cat calls, you went and walked away back over to Mutt, who took your hand as the two of you belted out the lyrics at each other.

_**(Both)** “Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air?_   
_Can't live, can't breathe with no air_   
_That's how I feel whenever you ain't there_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_Got me out here in the water so deep_   
_Tell me how you gon' be without me?_   
_If you ain't here I just can't breathe_   
_There's no air, no air_   
_No air air, No air air_

_**(You)** “Got me here out in the water so deep _

_**(Mutt)** “Tell me how you goin' be without me?_

_**(You)** “If you ain't here I just can't breathe_

_**(Both)** “There's no air, no air  
No air air, no air air.”_

When the song ended, you ended up in an embrace with Mutt, his forehead pressed against yours. You smiled up at him, panting a little as you took in the applause around you. Stretch was behind you; you could smell of the sweetness of his honey, and Edge was between the two of you, his gloved hand on your head.

You finally moved away from Mutt – albeit with some difficulty – and took the hands offered to you. With one sweeping bow, you took Edge's hand, giving another bow with him before he led you off stage.

No one said anything until you came out of the area. Sin, Pink, Dusty and G were awestruck as you waved to them, grabbing your drink from Morgan before heading over to where the four of them seemed to have congregated. Hell, G was choosing them over hiding in the shadows. That was good enough for you.

You hung out with them, Axe and Crooks for a bit. The sight of having them all there was pleasant on the eyes, and you were curled against Dusty as G kept a firm grip on your hand. The others were glancing over every now and then to check on you, but you were definitely fine, and they could see that as you buried yourself further into Dusty.

Everything you needed to worry about could come tomorrow. You had tonight to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stretch: she'll be fine in my room, it'll be fine.  
> Readz: And you're sure nothing will eat me in here?  
> Stretch: i will if you don't stop _being so fucking cute--_


	23. Platonic And Romantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have another dream.  
> You talk with Sans and the others.  
> Something is brought to light.  
> You see Daisy.  
> You and Sans have a small chit chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **HNNNNNNNN.**
> 
> Echo and I have been talking nonstop, just about. She actually _yelled at me_ because I wouldn't sleep? Like??? xD
> 
> EITHER WAY.
> 
> She and I have actually come up with a couple of different AUs for ASoF, and I just can't right now? They're so freaking great and make my heart so happy and y'all don't understand how precious Echo is. Like, she is Precious Bean Number One.
> 
> On that note, I hope y'all enjoy your chapter. And hold on tight. The next chapters are probably gonna be...angsty.
> 
> [Here's my Tumblr, y'all!](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)   
>  [ This is Echo's story I Beta. Give darlin' a shot!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245132/chapters/50584904)

You were sure that you were developing a problem. When you woke up the next morning with an aching head and a loud groan of misery, you hid your face in the first warm thing you could find. Which you thought was your pillow at first...

Until you realized it wasn't.

You nearly screamed scrambling away from whatever was holding you, falling off your bed ever so gracefully. Or, once you got a good look, _who_ ever. You blinked up to see G grinning down at you with a little wave. It was strange seeing him without his jacket on, and he didn't even have a turtleneck on. Instead, he was in a simple black tank top and plaid pajama bottoms.

You blinked, rubbing your eyes. “Uh...morning?”

“mornin', angel,” he hummed, leaning down and scooping you up.

You squeaked as he placed you back on your bed. You managed to untangle yourself from him as he tried to wrap his arms around you once more. You shook your head, trying to clear the fog from your brain. You needed to piece together why there was a skeleton in your bed.

And you were drawing so many blanks.

You groaned as G, thankfully, quietly chuckled next to you. He brought you back down to him, slowly and gently, wrapping you back up in his embrace. He nuzzled your head with his cheek, causing your face to flush.

“you're so cute when you can't remember,” he cackled. “it's alright, angel. nothin' happened. it was just cuddles since you couldn't sleep.”

You blew out a breath and looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to peak over the tops of the mountain. You took a look at your phone, turning it on to see the time and groaning. It wasn't even late enough to be up.

So instead of getting up and starting your day, you flopped back down on your bed and pulled the covers over you once more. You buried yourself deeper in the blankets, closing your eyes and blowing out a breath through your nose. You didn't realize how tense you'd been when G wrapped an arm around your middle, pulling you against him.

“sleep, angel.”

His soft voice was all you needed before you closed your eyes and were taken away by the blackness.

–

_You were in the kitchen, having a cup of tea. There were two other people with you, both of them laughing with at something you said. You didn't feel a connection with them like you did with the others; instead, it was simply platonic, like you and Morgan. And it was still so nice. They were much taller than you, towering over you easily, but you didn't feel threatened. You were laughing at something the more colorful of the two said. He was saying stuff you hadn't heard since you were a kid, way back in the nineties. The one next to him, a girl by chance, was shaking her head and taking a sip of her own tea. You still tried to slip in a few curses, only to be thwarted by his own lingo._

_You enjoyed their company; it was a nice break from dealing with the others. You lunged forward, wrapping your arms around the middle of one of them, crying from how hard you were laughing. Their wedding rings glinted in the light as the scene faded, and you were standing alone with just her, listening to her sob and cry from a nightmare. You held her tight, a hand stroking her hoodie she wore. You didn't say much, just let her get it all out._

_You cared a lot about her, and you knew you would always protect her from the pain she felt. The two of you were more alike than you even wanted admit, but you wouldn't let either of your pasts define you. You quietly made it your duty to make sure she would always smile, especially when her husband wasn't able to be gotten a hold of. You looked up to say something, only to have the scene torn away from you, drawing you back in the void of blackness._

–

You sat up with a gasp, looking around you. G was gone, but there was a note sitting on the nightstand by your bed. You ignored it, blowing out a breath and looking around. The sun was streaming in through the windows now, but you paid it no mind as you got out of bed. You needed a shower and food.

Once you showered and dressed for the day, you looked at the note G left for you.

y _ou were sleeping so peacefully, so i took my leave. i'll still be around, so i'll see ya when ya wake up, angel._

You smiled and put the note back down on the nightstand, grabbing your phone and leaving your room. You passed by the doors around you, pausing to see there were still a few that were closed. You shrugged it off and made your way down to the first floor.

It was a bustle of skeletons and even some humans. You were instantly pulled into a hug with Tiny. You laughed, giving him a hug back as he proclaimed you were alive and okay. You ruffled his hair, to which he whined and you moved away from him.

Guy and Buddy were sitting at the dining room table, talking to each other lowly before you saw Rus come in and join them. You gave them each a pat on the shoulder as you passed them, earning you grins and a lame pick up line from Buddy himself. You shook your head and you dipped into the kitchen.

“Y/N, YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE!”

You looked over to see Papyrus, laughing as he swooped you up into a hug. You noticed the others were all there, too. Edge and Tango were by the stove talking about something they were making. Chief and Paps were making stirring something on the island counter where you and Blue had made the muffins. Blueberry was scampering around, making sure everyone had their ingredients that they needed.

You were placed back on your feet, taking in a deep breath from reflex with the giant hugs he always gave. You glanced around you at the absolute chaos that was the kitchen.

“So why is it so crazy?” you asked, glancing up at Papyrus.

He sighed. “WE DIDN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE OTHERS COMING OVER SO EARLY THIS WEEK. SO NOW WE'RE SCRAMBLING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FOOD FOR EVERYONE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK SINCE THEY SHOWED UP TO SEE YOU,” he explained happily.

Oh. Well, maybe you should have seen that one coming. After all, G showed up early, too. You should have guessed that the others would be coming around. You hummed as Tiny came running back into the kitchen. You glanced around, narrowing your eyes. It looked organized, but it was definitely a disaster waiting to happen. You tugged on Papyrus's scarf.

“Think I could help with dinner?” you asked softly. “I have an idea.”

“OF COURSE, Y/N!” Papyrus said excitedly. “I WOULD BE HONORED IF YOU HELPED US WITH DINNER TONIGHT!”

You smiled and gave his arm a pat before you left the kitchen. You didn't see or feel the gazes on you as you left, draping yourself over Buddy. He growled out, telling you to fuck off before he even knew it was you. You gave a playful whine, causing Buddy to freak out for a minute, watching as Guy and Rus both laughed at the two of you.

Papyrus turned to see Edge and Tango had paused what they were doing, eyelights focused on you. Blue and Tiny had stopped scrambling for ingredients and were staring at you. Every single being in the room was watching you. Papyrus couldn't help but smile as his eyes went back to you, now yelling at Buddy for slapping your ass.

The human in question was looking away, chuckling even as you yelled at him. Guy was hugging his arms around your waist and Rus was wheezing on the table, shaking his head. Papyrus decided, right then and there, this was home for you, and with you. It wouldn't be home otherwise. Not anymore.

When you finally finished telling Buddy off, you plopped on Guy's lap instead. The smell of frost and an herbal citrus wrapped around you. Buddy went to whine about it, but you shot him a glare that had him shutting up and bowing his head like a lost puppy. He was looking at you through his lashes and you snickered behind your hand, waiting for him to do or say something that was totally Red like.

But he didn't. Instead, he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“So why are you guys all here?” you asked, your hand resting on Guy's arm. “I expected Axe and Blackberry and their brothers, but definitely not you guys.”

“we live a bit away,” Buddy mumbled, pulling his hood up over his head. “us humans all live t'gether, so we jus' said fuck 't an' came here early. plus, we get t' see ya. win win in my book.”

You rolled your eyes and gently kicked his leg. He only peeked out from under his hood and winked before covering his face back up. You shook your head.

“Where is everyone even staying?” you asked, scowling. “There isn't many rooms left in this house...”

“not to worry, berry,” Guy said behind you. “the others around here have some spare room, and there's a few more cabins out in the back for us if needed.”

You blinked owlishly. More cabins? Just how many did Sans have on the property? You weren't sure you were ready for that number, so you just kept your thoughts to yourself as Rus raised himself from the table top, blowing out a wheezing breath.

“Oh, so you finally recovered?”

“quiet,” he huffed. “i'm good, don't get me started again, doll.”

You shook your head. These names the boys were coming up with were ridiculous, but who were you to try and stop them? You enjoyed them, and it made you think of their personalities. They were all the same person, sure, but they were all different in their own ways.

So there were obvious similarities, but there were also obvious differences. But you also had yet to meet Hunter and the “Outer” brothers. You weren't sure how those meetings were going to go, but you were sure about one thing.

You were kind of anxious. The meetings had so far varied from tame to...well, Dusty decided to pop in from nowhere. You didn't know what kind of introduction you'd have to those three, and as far as you knew, they were the last of the ones you had to meet.

At least, the ones that were already here.

That niggling thought was in the back of your mind again. You weren't sure how to approach the topic with Sans when you able to. But there had to be a way to stop it before anything really took a foothold. You didn't know how it would affect the universes, the multiverse as a whole. Would it be fine, and stay stable? Or would it collapse on itself? What happens to someone if it collapses?

There was also a chance that more versions of your boys could come through, ones that weren't good like them. That could be worse than Dusty and Axe. The thought sent a little chill down your spine that made you snuggle further into Guy's warmth.

You weren't aware of the envious looks being sent his way by anyone who saw.

You glanced around, noticing you didn't see a lot of the older brothers around. Red, Sans, Serif, and Stretch were missing. You looked over the others, tilting your head in silent askance.

“they're workin' today,” Rus answered you, chewing on a lollipop stick now. “should be at the lab. might be comin' home in a bit for food.”

“heard somethin' about food?”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when Red's voice was thick in your ear. You growled, turning to smack him right as he blipped out of the way, appearing in the kitchen archway. You glared at him, folding your arms over your chest as everyone laughed or chuckled around you.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, bitches,” you grunted. “None of you guys are getting cuddles ever again.”

You went to get off Guy's lap. He complained and whined, trying to bring you to sit back down and you laughed, waving his grabbing hands away from you. He was grinning while he whined, so you supposed it was fine. When you walked away, you zeroed in on Sans, who was talking lowly with Stretch.

“Hey, uh...can I talk to you?” you asked, rubbing your arm as you approached.

He looked at you, blinking once, owlishly, before nodding. He said something Stretch before he took you and the two of you went up to his office. Once the door was shut, you sat on the couch that had been pushed up against the wall, sinking into it slowly before rubbing your face.

“what's wrong, princess?” Sans asked.

You looked up to see him behind his computer. He was watching you with an unwavering gaze, so you guessed that mean he knew what you wanted to talk about. You were still unsure how to word it. He...hadn't exactly been happy with you since the whole incident with Dusty, or allowing him to come along to see your show.

You sighed. “Look, whatever you're doing in that lab with the boys, it needs to stop. I can't take it right now.”

He looked panicked and confused. “princess?”

You spilled your guts to him about the dream you had earlier, and the ones you had before. At some point, a few of the others came into the room. But you noticed it was all only the older brothers, and Stretch and Rus. All of them were watching with various degrees of expressions. G didn't look shocked, since you'd told him. Sin was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The others looked confused and shocked, others looked like they figured it would happen.

When you finally stopped, you were shaking, gritting your teeth. It wasn't that you were scared, or nervous about opening up to them. You were just... _uneasy_. You were so afraid that something would happen to the multiverse, or that too many bondmates would overwhelm you. And you didn't want that. You wanted to still be around the rest of them, and you wanted to be there for all of them. But how would you do that when you would have twenty-five of them, _plus more_?

It was mathematically impossible.

“like i told you when you told me,” G said, shifting his feet, “it's your soul recognizing the bonds.”

Rus nodded as Stretch shifted his own stance. “but you said the one you had just earlier felt more...platonic?”

You nodded, leaning against the cushions of the couch. “Yeah. Like, there was nothing romantic there. Just...friends being friends.”

Some of them hummed as they looked around at each other. You didn't know what they were silently conversing about, and you didn't want to know. Or so you told yourself. You were so fed up with these dreams and this soul business. You just wanted a goddamn break. Or maybe to figure out how you were going to go about this entire thing. You weren't sure you were doing a good enough job to begin with.

Again, smoking right now would provide a great stress reliever. But you were doing good, so none of that.

You felt the couch dip next to you and you were wrapped in an embrace. You looked over, seeing Buddy only for a second before he tucked your head under his chin. You blinked once before succumbing to the smell of coconuts and coffee. It was a strange mixture, to be sure, but you enjoyed it nonetheless.

“maybe...not all of us are your bondmates in the sense we become...romantic soulmates?”

Everyone looked over to see Guy tapping his lower lip, his brows furrowed as he thought. You tilted your head as best as you could given that you were leaning on Buddy. Some of the other older brother figures seemed to think it over, nodding themselves, including the human cuddling you.

Red, however, seemed lost as he asked, “whaddaya mean?”

“think about,” Guy said, plopping down onto a chair. “there are already, what? twenty-five of us here? not to mention because you morons were messing with the machine _again_ , now there's a possibility there's _more_ of us coming through that damn thing. 'specially if berry here is seeing more of us...them, in her dreams. there just might be the very real possibility that not all of us were meant as bondmates to romantic soulmates, but just as bondmates into the perfect friendships. a platonic soulmate, or whatever.”

He nodded, as though that explained everything. You felt like it made some kind of sense. Maybe not all of them would be with you...romantically? But that didn't sit right when you thought about it with the boys that were already here. You had a soft spot in your heart for each of them, and they were a lot more important to you than your ex had been.

Which was saying something.

Some of the boys, however, didn't think that was the case.

“so, what? that means y/n has to choose who she's gonna bond with and toss the rest aside?” Stretch asked, his voice tight. “i'm not gonna let that happen with blue.”

Oh, that was cold. You glared in his direction, even as Buddy's arm wrapped around you and pulled you a little closer to him. Did he really think you would do something so harsh to his brother? You couldn't stand the thought of hurting any of them, let alone the more...exuberant of the skeletons in the house. Or even the ones outside of the house! But you weren't going to admit that it hurt you.

Not now, anyway.

Instead, you looked over to see Serif shaking his head. “nah, not like that. why don't ask the person who's soul is tied to ours and makes the ultimate decision?”

Every single gaze turned to you, and you fought to not shrink into Buddy's hold. Christ, you had just wanted to talk to Sans about this, not have some scientific powwow. Instead, you took in a deep breath and locked eyes with each one of them as you spoke.

“I'm not choosing anyone over the other,” you said softly. “I told you before, I'm giving you _all_ equal chances, and that includes the skeletons that aren't here. And when I say all of you, I literally mean _all of you_.”

You locked gazes with Stretch when you said that. He looked away, but not before you caught the guilt mixed with uncertain anger on his face. You were going to have a long talk with him later about this. You weren't looking forward to that conversation.

“If Guy is right, and that my soul isn't just recognizing...potential soulmates, but bonds in general, then maybe...then maybe all of the ones that could potentially get pulled through next would be friends, and not relationships.”

Rus nodded thoughtfully. “that makes more sense.”

They talked it over for a while, but you zoned out. You played with the string on Buddy's hoodie, deep in thought yourself. You had never thought about it like that. Sin had mentioned it the day before when you had been with the pair of brothers. That the soul would know what to do. That the soul called for more than just _romantic_ relationships, but platonic ones as well.

There was just an easiness there that made you slump over and sigh against Buddy's chest.

“anything else, princess?”

Sans's voice startled you, and you jumped in the human's hold. Everyone gave slight chuckles, which you smiled at. Before you could say no, you paused, frowning.

“Uh, actually...about Thanksgiving...”

The boys in the room listened with rapt attention. As you explained what your mother told you, you watched as Red's eyelights flashed, and Stretch and Sans both tensed up. When you got to your mother's request however...

“fuck no!” Red snarled, causing some of the others in the room to jump. “i don't want that sniveling _cunt_ anywhere near you!”

“i can agree to that,” Sans said nodding.

“third to agree,” Stretch grumble.

Serif was nodding, his face twisted in disgust. G scowled, leaning against Sans's desk and crossing his arms over his chest. He had changed back into his actual clothes. You watched as he crossed his legs at the ankles, tilting his head.

“what's so bad about this daisy person?”

Red, Sans, Stretch and Serif all started talking at once, ranting and raving how she was a bitch who had hurt you. Really, it was kinda cute to see the boys getting so flustered like that. You smiled as you shifted against Buddy, who leaned his head against yours as he watched the mayhem unfold and all four of the skeletons rant.

At one point, the others had stopped them to ask questions, which you would answer in turn, or you would shrug it off. By the time everyone had settled, every single soul in that room was in agreement.

They wanted Daisy nowhere near you, or that house.

You didn't really blame them, but you definitely didn't want to piss your mom off anymore than she already would be. Once you walked on the property with four of your boys, you knew there was going to be hell on earth.

You were looking forward to it.

You sighed. “Look, I need to pick four of you to go with me and–”

“I VOLUNTEER!”

You squeaked as the door burst open and Papyrus came in, followed by Blue and Edge falling to the ground at his feet. Tango was peeking around the corner with a shy wave and the human brothers were shaking their heads. Chief came into the room to help Edge off the ground as Tiny came to help Blueberry.

“What the fuck, guys.”

You weren't even shocked. You should have known the absence of their brothers would have drawn them up here. You smiled as a couple of them stuttered, trying to come up with a good enough excuse, and you playfully tilted your head as you listened to each of them. In fact, even their brothers seemed slightly amused.

“so how long have you guys been there?” Buddy asked causally, his voice sending rumbles through his body.

“SINCE Y/N STARTED TALKING ABOUT THANKSGIVING!” Papyrus said with glee.

“WE TRIED TO COMMENT SOONER, BUT THEY HELD US BACK!” Blueberry whined, pointing at the others surrounding him.

“We Were Only Going To Spy For A Moment To See What Was Taking So Long!” Paps insisted, sticking to his own story.

“I Just Wanted To See Where My Lazy Brother Went,” Chief said, shrugging as he eyed his brother beside you.

You grumbled and curled yourself further into Buddy. He was so comfy and warm. Must have been the hoodie and the fact he wasn't a skeleton made of nothing but bones and magic. It was a nice change from the usual bag of bones you were surrounded by.

“NOW THAT WE KNOW, WE'LL HEAD BACK DOWNSTAIRS,” Edge said, glancing at Red.

You nodded and watched as they leave...all but Papyrus, who stood there rubbing his hands together. You frowned and knew you couldn't take him with you. While he could cheer up any soul in the room, you knew your mother would aim to hurt him the most. And you weren't about to sit there and watch your mother tear apart one of the best skeletons in your life.

Before you could say anything, Sans spoke first.

“maybe not this time, paps,” he said, giving his brother a strained smile. “this is a first meeting, and i don't think she'll be able to handle your greatness all at once like that.”

“that's right,” Stretch chimed in. “blue can't come, either; his magnificence would surely shock the humans.”

Red was nodding. “edge's great and terribleness would bring them to their knees, so he can't go either.”

That seemed to placate your excitable bondmate. You smiled as he grinned wide, nodding and bounding away from the room. Once you were all sure he was heading downstairs, you slumped against Buddy again and groaned.

“I didn't wanna break his heart,” you complained. “Christ, that would have killed me.”

A few chuckles sounded off before the boys began discussing who would go with you. You sat back and enjoyed it. You didn't have to make the decision, so you weren't going to complain. Instead, you felt Buddy moving and you whined until he was replaced with Serif, who winked down at you. You smiled up at your dance partner and snuggled into him now, sighing quietly.

It was decided, with you agreeing a few times, that the main boys of the house would accompany you. Stretch, Red, Serif and Sans would all be joining your family for Thanksgiving. Now you just had to find a way to get a hold of Daisy to let her know she was invited.

Ugh, even thinking that made you want to vomit.

–

The next day, you spoke to your mother as you made your way to go visit Daisy at work. At least there, you could grab a snack and invite her without having much confrontation. You spoke to your mother quietly as you made your way inside the store, your eyes looking out the pompous bitch as you made your way through the aisles.

“Oh, not to mention I can ask her what she wants for Christmas!” your mother was gushing. “Maybe your sister–”

“Not my sister.” you snarled lowly.

“You really shouldn't be like that,” your mother admonished. “We're all your family, you know. You should love and respect your family, Y/n.”

You bit your tongue, trying to keep your cool as you made your way to the counter, where Daisy was working. You put your mother on speaker and listened to her ramble as you were nearing the front of the register. When Daisy locked eyes with you, a sneer lifted her lip, but you noticed she looked around.

Probably looking for back up before she and your mother verbally knocked you down a few more pegs. You probably should have thought to bring a couple of your boys with you.

“She's right here, mom,” you grouched as you put your stuff on the conveyor belt. “You ask her.”

“Daisy, sweetie?”

You wanted to strangle your mother through the phone. What was with that soft, _motherly_ voice coming from her all of a sudden?

“Oh, hey, ma,” Daisy said, instantly perking up.

Your mother then proceeded to invite her to Thanksgiving, while also saying she couldn't trust her blood daughter to do it. You guess it was fair, cause you were only a couple days away from the day now, and you wanted to put it off as much as you could. Maybe ask the day after the holiday.

“Oh, I would love to go!” Daisy gushed, her eyes sparkling.

You could see the dollar signs in her eyes already as she spoke. Daisy claimed her parents weren't doing anything for the holiday anyway, which you could partially believe. Her parents weren't exactly the best, but that was still no excuse to go poaching on your mother and your father's money. It was sickening.

You paid for your stuff, huffed out a thanks, and walked away in the middle of their conversation. Once you told your mother you were going to be late for some fake thing, you hung up on her and turned toward home, stuffing your phone in your pocket.

Honestly, you couldn't stand the thought of that spiteful bitch coming. She was only in it for the money, and your mother had to know that. But then again, you guessed now that was all your mother cared about. All she did was mooch off your father and call everything hers. My house, my cars, my pool, my rooms, everything was hers.

And it drove you up the wall.

You made it home, heading for the living room while grumbling to yourself. Guy and Buddy were going against Red and Serif in a two on two battle in one of their shooter games. You saw Stretch by the window, reading and chewing on a toothpick. You even saw Mutt sitting around, chewing on the end of a dog treat while watching the screen in front of him.

You plopped next to Mutt, still muttering to yourself as you dug through the bag and pulled out a pack of smokes for Red, tossing it in his direction. His magic caught it right before it hit him, settling it into his lap as he continued watching the screen. You threw another one over your shoulder, hearing it thump against Stretch.

You pulled out a Swiss Roll, tearing open the packet with your teeth before taking one out and popping part of it in your mouth. You sighed, leaning back against the couch, throwing your legs over Mutt's. He didn't say anything, just adjusted so the two of you were more comfortable. You smiled as his hands rested on your leg, gently rubbing the fabric of your pants.

“seem a little tense,” he noted, glancing over at you.

“Did the whole thing with Daisy and my mom,” you muttered, nibbling on your Swiss Roll.

You had caught the others up on what had happened. Axe had scowled and you watched as he tugged on his empty eye socket, grinding his teeth together. You had frantically pulled his hand away and pet the good part of his skull until he was purring. Crooks had fretted, having not met Daisy before. He didn't like the way she sounded, but the precious sweetheart didn't want to trash her name without meeting her. But not to worry, cause the rest of them did for him.

Mutt had only shaken his head, simply asking if there was a way she wasn't needed to be there. He had called her trash and proceeded to explain how he would enjoy burying her in a dumpster somewhere. When you had panicked asking if she'd be alive at the least, he had only shrugged. Black had instantly told you there was no way you were going if she was. You and him had fought about it for at least twenty minutes before you told him that he could be a tyrant with his brother but not you.

He had glared at you, stating, “PETS OBEY THEIR MASTERS, Y/N. OR THEY. GET. PUNISHED.”

He had walked away before you could retort, missing the gleam in his sockets as he locked gazes with Mutt. You flipped off his back while cursing at him three ways from Sunday.

You leaned against the arm of the couch and sighed, watching the screen on the TV as you munch on your cream filled snack.

“so you sucked it up and asked daisy yourself or...?”

“Fuck no.”

He chuckled. “heh, that's our girl.”

They were simple words. Three, small and simple words. But they put a big smile on your face and sent your soul thumping in your chest at an alarming rate. You felt your face flush and nearly groaned as the others turned to look at you, snickering.

“Stop picking on the human!” you complained.

“what? they're not picking on me,” Guy said.

“me neither,” Buddy chimed in.

“I hate you both.”

Their laughter filled the room as you chucked whatever you could reach at them. When you went to throw your food, you paused, looking between it and the boys before stuffing the last of it in your mouth. As you tried chewing on it, you saw the twinkle in Buddy's ruby eyes. You couldn't even defend yourself as he opened his mouth.

“i knew ya liked takin' long cream filled things in your mouth,” he said, nodding.

The simple chuckles and giggles turned into full wheezing as you chewed and swallowed as fast as you could. Your glare was on Buddy as the four gamers threw their controllers away from them and guffawed. Guy was crying, trying to wipe away tears only for them to be replaced with more. Red and Serif were leaning on each other, holding their nonexistent stomachs as they wheezed together.

Even Stretch behind you was laughing. You looked over the backrest of the couch, glaring at him. He was wheezing just as hard as the others, his book over his face to try and muffle the sound. Mutt was beside you, his hood over his head and the sides closed in to cover his face. But you knew from the way his shoulders were bouncing he was laughing along with everyone else.

You groaned, covering your face as you finally managed to swallow the last of your food. Their laughter was still going even as you heard someone else coming into the room. You moved your fingers, watching as Chief came into the room, stopping to lean against the archway. Your eyes widened when you saw his smile stretch into a grin, his own eyes on his brother wheezing on the ground with the others.

Your heart skipped a beat, and you cursed yourself as you moved back up, moving your hands from your face. Every eye was on you as you locked eyes with Buddy, grin returning.

“You're just jealous it wasn't yours,” you said, getting up from the couch and walking away.

You left the room as the laughter returned, Buddy sputtering something out. You passed by Chief, giving him a brief smile and a wink before you made your way up to the second floor. You knocked on Sans's door, waiting for his confirmation before you went into it.

It was a mess. Papers and books were scattered everywhere, and there were just socks. All kinds of fucking socks littering the ground. You blinked as he turned to face you from his desk. There was a trash tornado? How? You know what, never mind, you weren't going to ask. Too much science and magic answers zoomed through your head before you just came in and plopped face first on his bed, groaning.

“somethin' wrong, princess?”

His voice was near, and you opened one eye to peek over at him. He was now sitting next to you, chewing on the lid of a pen as he stared down at you. You moved to lay your head on the side and sighed, blowing out a breath and sitting up. You moved so you were sitting next to him, leaning your head on his shoulder.

“No,” you murmured. “Not really. Just dealt with Daisy and mom today so I guess I'm just...tired?”

It came out more as a question and you sniffled a little. There was a burning behind your eyes and in your nose. You did your best to try and fight back the tears; you covered your eyes with the heels of your hands, pressing into them gently as you took in a steady breath.

“princess?”

His arm wrapped around you, pulling you close to him as a small whimper slipped past your lips. You weren't weak like this. You didn't care how your mom treated you. You didn't care that it felt like she was replacing you with someone. So...why did it hurt so much?

“Sans...why doesn't my mom love me?”

Sans paused, but he still relaxed into you. He gathered you to him, moving so the two of you were laying down. He adjusted you so you were facing him and he pried your hands away from your face. He cupped your chin in his hand, bringing your gaze to look up at him, even as tears and snot ran down your face.

Man, how gross.

He seemed to read your thoughts because he chuckled, moving around you to grab something from his desk. When he came back, he dabbed at your cheeks and nose with the Kleenex, humming a little as he did. When that was done, he threw it toward the trash tornado. You didn't get to see it be picked up as you were looking up at Sans again.

“i can't answer that for you,” he said softly, wiping the corner of your eyes. “but what i can tell you for sure, is that you have _us_. you have all of us, here and waiting for you whenever you're ready for us. we adore you, and we want you to adore us just the same.”

“I don't think I can do Thanksgiving,” you hiccuped. “I don't want to go there and see them.”

“you mean andrew and silas?” he asked.

“Those two and mother,” you confirmed. “The only solace I have in this is that dad, Mamaw and Papaw are there. And now I'll have four of you guys there...”

“but there's also daisy,” he murmured, brushing away a stray hair.

“What's so fucking special about her?” you silently snarled. “She's a slimy bitch who uses whoever is more useful in the moment. Which is why the moment I told her I don't turn to my parents for money, I was useless.”

He just brought you closer, tucking your head under his chin as he sighed through his nasal cavity. “don't you worry, princess. you don't need any of them in your life. you have us, and your dad. you have your mamaw and papaw. you have those who matter most. they mean absolutely nothing, and they never will.”

“But that's my mother,” you said softly. “My...my siblings...”

“just because they are family, just because _blood_ , doesn't make it okay the shit they do to you,” he said, running his phalanges through your hair. “it will _never_ make it okay. paps and i were so lucky the day you came into our lives, and we try everyday to prove this. just like the others do.”

You smiled and snuggled against him, nuzzling your nose against his sternum. Your tears had finally stopped, and you took in the sound of his soul humming, the magic within his body thrumming against you. Your eyes shut and you felt your fist bury itself in his hoodie.

He didn't complain as you slowly drifted off into a small sleep. He would wake you up once dinner was done, and you two could go down to eat. If anything, he'd see if the two of you could come back and sleep in the same bed again.

It's been so long since that one sleepover the two of you had. He remembered feeling like absolute shit when he'd snapped out of it only to see you climbing off of the floor, wincing at the pain in your back. Even when you had told him it was fine, he didn't think it was. You just don't go throwing humans around like they're rag dolls.

Unless they deserved it, anyway.

He let his own sockets slide close, holding you closer to him as sleep took him over. He didn't care about later. In fact, he was content having you in his arms right there, in his bed. With him. Right where you belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buddy: you love them long cream filled things.  
> Readz: You're just fucking jealous.  
> Buddy: u right, tho.


	24. Thanksgiving Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Thanksgiving...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> I edited this for the last like, hour, for the final time. While in a voice chat with people. And lemme tell you...I've zoned in on some... _ **interesting**_ conversations.
> 
> Speaking of the voice chat! A new friend of mine has written something beautiful! And she's done a wonderful job and I helped her with the latest chapter, so give her a shot? (:
> 
> Promise you won't be disappointed!  
> [littlexsiren's story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786)  
> If you like it, come join us ~~sinners~~ on her Discord she has a link to on her stuff!
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr!  
> [Here's my Tumblr!](lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Enjoy! <3

The day before Thanksgiving, you were pacing your room nervously. It had still been decided that Red, Serif, Sans and Stretch would accompany you. A few of them tried worming their way in. Buddy tried sabotaging Red's chance at going until Chief came in and dragged him away by his ear. Tiny tried getting rid of Serif by just being adorable until Blueberry came in grumbling and picking up his human counterpart, walking away.

You were actually kind of enjoying watching as every tried to mess everything up for the others going.

The day of, however, you were a nervous wreck. Almost everyone was gathered in the living room, watching as you paced back and forth in front of the archway to the room. Your heels clacked against the wooden floor and you were chewing on your bottom lip anxiously. The boys were upstairs still getting ready, and you couldn't help but think that they weren't going for the formal look.

Tango, Blue, Papyrus and Edge all made sure to have them look their best. They showed you the suits they were forcing on their brothers before actually delivering them to lazier boys. You still couldn't help but feel nervous though.

“Y/N, ARE YOU GOING TO BE OKAY?”

“you're gonna wear a hole in the floor, angel.”

“who knew heels could be that annoying?”

“Sweetie, You Really Should Calm Down.”

Their voices would break through your nervous musings every now and then and you did pause in your pacing, groaning as you clenched your fists. You were trying really hard not to ruin the makeup you had on. You hated wearing it, especially this much, but you knew your mother would have a cow if you “didn't look your best”.

The dress you wore swished around your ankles. It was a golden mermaid style dress with a thin strip of see through mesh around the stomach area. It wrapped around the back and ended in a bow that was tied firmly thanks to Blueberry. Your hair was up in some kind of weird, fancy updo that had two strands coming down on either side of your face, but you still made sure you had your bangs covering your left eye.

Earrings and necklace from your grandmother completed the look, and you glanced over at the stairs once more before groaning.

“cutie, why are you wound so tight?”

You glanced over at Sin, before looking at all of the boys. You went to gnaw on your bottom lip again before Pink sent you a glare that had you stopping. Sin and Pink had done marvelously on your hair and makeup, and you knew chewing on your bottom lip before had upset him. He sighed, standing and heading to the case he used earlier, digging around and muttering to himself. Once he found he was looking for, he came back over to you and tilted your head up as he uncapped the lipstick.

“You're Gonna Be Fine, Candy,” he murmured to you, gently reapplying the lipstick. “There Is No Need To Fret So Much.”

Once he finished, he moved away from you, heading back to the case to put it back. You slumped a little, leaning against the archway that led into the living room.

“Sorry, guys,” you mumbled. “I'm just...a little nervous?”

“WE COULD SEE THAT,” Blackberry said, shaking his head.

“but why are you so nervous?” Rus asked, leaning back against the couch.

“Not even Sans has seen the extent my mother will go to just so she can be an unpleasant bitch,” you said, rubbing the back of your neck. “I just don't want everyone to think that just because she's my mother that I'm just like her.”

“WE ALREADY KNOW YOU'RE NOT!” Edge huffed. He was sitting on one of the couches, arms crossed and leg over the other. “YOU'RE MUCH KINDER, AND OBVIOUSLY NOT AN OBNOXIOUS CUNT.”

You gasped out a giggle. “Yeah...thanks, Edge.”

His face flushed scarlet, but he said nothing more as the others looked toward the stairs. You glanced over as well, and felt your heart stop in your throat. Holy shit, were you going to faint? Was it hot in here, or was that just _them_?

Sans was the first to descend the stairs. His black suit looked impeccable, and fitted well to his girthy frame. There was a blue rose sitting in the breast pocket. He was still fussing with the cuffs of the white shirt beneath it, mumbling about all the unnecessary buttons. Papyrus had gotten up to help him with them as you took in the deep blue tie that looked almost identical to his magic color. He had on a pair of black shoes that were as shiny as his skull in the sun.

“gettin' ya eyeful in, huh, kitten?”

You squeaked, your hands flying to your mouth as you turned to your left. Red was there, now leaning away from you as he chuckled. He looked amazing in his suit, black with deep red pinstripes. Like Sans, there was a rose in his breast pocket, tucked against a deep red handkerchief. The shirt beneath his jacket was a crisp white, and his hands were tucked into his slacks. His tie was as red as his handkerchief, and his shoes were more of a brown than a black.

Stretch was coming down next, lazily using the railing and sliding down on his coccyx. You watched as Blueberry got up to admonish him, but you couldn't help the smile that graced your face. While his suit was all black, just like Sans, plus an orange rose in the breast pocket, the tie and cuff links he wore were on point with his magic color. You wondered if they planned it like this, or if it was all coincidence. He sent you a lazy wink while his brother checked his suit over for any wrinkles.

Serif, the last one, finally stepped down. Like the other three, he was fiddling with an indigo colored rose in his breast pocket, sighing as he came down the stairs. Black seemed to be the theme for the suits, but you noticed his tie was the same color as his magic. His shoes came to a stop as Tango came over and helped him with something last minute.

Your heart literally melted right on the spot.

Red moved from behind you to go stand with the other three. Their brothers all moved away and the four stood in front of you, grinning ear to ear as you took them in.

“lookin' good, princess.”

“the dress _suits_ you, kitten.”

“ _cuff_ it out, red. but he's right, honey, you look wonderful.”

“like an angel, sweets.”

You flushed under their compliments, stammering for a minute while they chuckled. Then as one, like they had practiced it, they each drew out the rose from their pocket and presented it to you. You let out a little “oh!” of shock, hand cupping your mouth as your other hand took them and held them to your chest.

“totally got that.”

You looked over to see G grinning, standing there with his phone in the air. You glared at him and he shook his head as you took a step toward him. The boys gathered you close to them again, and you laughed. Even as you complained about messing up the hard work Sin and Pink did to your hair and makeup, they stayed around you, posing for the camera. You giggled as you grinned at the camera.

Once the picture was taken, you lifted your skirt a little, waving to the others. “We'll be back later! See ya!”

You got a chorus of goodbyes and have fun calls as the door was shut behind you. You climbed into Papyrus's car, making sure to get the other three in the back before you climbed into the front. Sans took the driver's seat, buckling himself in before he stuck the key in the ignition. You did the same as he revved the engine once and drove away from the house.

The way there was silent, and you could feel the questions the others had damn near burning on their magical tongues. But you were too focused on what was coming, and you felt sick to your stomach before you even left the city

It would be the first time you'd seen your mother in almost a year. You hadn't seen your “brothers” in a while, either. And in turn, you hadn't seen your dad. And you were the most worried about him and how this would go. It was already bad enough your mother and “siblings” would be there, but to tack in Daisy?

This was going to be one hell of a holiday.

The car crept its way through a small sleepy town before you hit your own hometown. It was at least three hours from Ebott, and you wanted to keep that distance. It seemed the closer you got to home, the more anxious you got. You felt like you were gonna be sick as the house on top of the hill finally came into view.

You heard Red whistle in the back. “damn, kitten. 'rents really like t' flash their money, huh?”

“My mom does,” you said quietly. “Dad preferred something much smaller, and more manageable. But anything to keep his wife happy.”

“why is he still with her?” Serif grumbled.

You didn't have answer for that. Sans went up the long driveway, and you took note of all the yard work that had been done before Thanksgiving. It still looked as immaculate as the day you left. You looked ahead, noticing a few familiar cars, including one that belonged to Daisy herself. Your hands tightened into fists as you scanned the cars once more. The tension left you as you saw your Papaw's giant ass truck pulled into said immaculate yard.

The man may be old, but he was petty as hell.

Once the car was parked, you got out, moving the seat so the boys could get out as well. It was unusually warm for November, but you still brought a cold for the nip that was still in the air. You stood there for a moment, almost afraid to go and head inside when you saw a familiar head poke out of the door. You almost squealed like a ten year old again, running as best as you could in the dress and heels and into your father's waiting arms.

“Daddy!”

“Ah, there she is,” your father murmured, giving you a loving squeeze and peck on the cheek. “I've missed you so much.”

“I've missed you, too, dad,” you whispered, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

You moved away and swept your arm out to motion for your boys. Your dad waved, but you both paused as you saw Red and Stretch about to light up. You stopped them, shaking your head and winking at their silent puppy dog eyes.

“Guys, this is my father, Bryson L/n,” you said, smiling wide. “Dad, this is Sans, Red, Stretch and Serif.”

“Welcome to my home,” your father said. “Now, I believe my daughter stopped you since, well, it's a holiday. And since my mother is here, smoking is allowed inside. Just try to be mindful and not smoke too much.”

Red and Stretch were already through the door and you called after them, “That means you, Red!”

You only got a chuckle in return and smiled. The four of you went inside, where you placed your coat on the rack next to the door. You took a long look at the home you left behind. Large, vaulted ceiling, two staircases that led up to a second floor. There was a painting of your family in the middle of the staircase, and you avoided looking at it as you went to find the two other people you wanted to see the most out of everyone else.

Once you made it into the den, you nearly catapulted over the back of the couch closest to you as a head full of dyed blonde hair moved. You caught sight of the wrinkles as you leaned down and hugged her over the couch.

Your Mamaw chuckled, blowing smoke away from you. “There she is!” she hooted. “How's my grandbaby doing?”

“I'm better now that I see you,” you whispered, nuzzling into her cheek.

Out of everyone in your family, this was the one woman who knew everything about you. She was your best friend as an adult, but was stern with you growing up. She was your absolute everything, and you wished you told her or showed her as such more often. But seeing her here, with you now, your heart was at peace.

You let out a little shocked gasp when you remembered you had an audience. You felt yourself flush and chuckled a little as you moved away from your grandmother, motioning to the skeletons that had gathered in the room.

“Sorry, guys,” you said a little sheepishly. “Mamaw, this is Sans, Red, Stretch and Serif.” You pointed to each one as you introduced them.

“it's nice to meet you, ma'am,” Sans said, grinning as he stuck his hands in his slacks.

Your Mamaw only scoffed. “Ma'am. I haven't been called that in years. Call me Mamaw, Sans.”

“I personally call her a dinosaur,” you said nonchalantly. “Or mention that she's from the Stone Age. Quite often, too.”

That sent Red and Stretch into a laughing fit, which you joined in. Sans and Serif only shook their heads as they sat down with you. But you got up, heading over to wrap your Papaw into a tight hug, the familiar scent of mint permeating your senses.

You squeaked when he pulled you into his lap and grinned at you, winking with his good eye. Your eyes widened; you knew exactly what he wanted to do and you had to stifle your laughter as he turned back to your boys.

“Guys, this is my Papaw,” you said, motioning to the man who was keeping you on his lap like you were five years old again.

“Ah, your Mamaw told me about them,” he said, his voice only slightly gruff from years of smoking. “Tell me, boys. Have you been taking care of my Little Sugar?”

You groaned, face going red at the nickname. “Papaw, please...”

He chuckled. “I need to make sure they're not doing anything unsavory to you, Little Sugar.”

You squeaked, and right on cue, hit him on the back of the head _just_ hard enough to watch as his glass eye popped out of his socket and rolled on the floor. All the laughter cut off as the skeletons stared at the eye with growing horror and panic.

You had to stifle your laugh as the boys began to give into said panic, talking about how human eyes don't do that, and how to pick it up to give it back. But you couldn't hold it for long as you started howling, gasping for breath as you slid off of his lap and went to the eye, picking it up and winking at the boys.

“It's glass,” you laughed, trying to choke out the words, rapping your knuckle on it for good measure. “He-he got into a work accident years ago an-and had to get a replacement.”

You couldn't handle it anymore as you handed the eye back to your Papaw, who already had a cloth out so he could clean it. You were doubled over laughing as the boys gawked at you. Red snapped out of it first, starting to laugh himself.

“oh, you're a cheeky little thing, kitten,” he said, shaking his head.

“What's so funny in here?”

You froze, your laughter cutting off on a choke. Your back straightened and your face was schooled into the neutral expression you had practiced over the years. All the boys seemed to notice the change in the room; even your Papaw and Mamaw had gone quiet, instead, going back to what they were doing prior.

You turned on your heel. “Mother.”

All four of their heads snapped to the woman. You were damn near a carbon copy of her. Blonde locks fell down passed her shoulders, stopping in little ringlets that ended at the middle of her back. She didn't have your honey colored eyes, but hers were a more piercing green that could cut through steel.

She was dressed in a form fitting gown that was a deep ruby red. Her black heels gave her an added few inches, and her jewelry was, as usual, gaudy and unnecessary. Her wedding band glinted in the light an you winced when you noticed that, somehow, the stone had just gotten a little bit bigger since the last time you saw them. There was a black shawl wrapped around her shoulders, one you noticed was, once more, brand new.

Just how much did she spend on this outfit?

She stepped toward you, her arms out. Her ruby smile was fake as she encased you in a hug. You stiffened, having to remind your brain how to function as you hugged her back. She pulled away and held you out at arm's length, giving you the critical once over you knew was coming.

“You did good this year, dear,” she said, smiling.

“Thanks...”

“And you must be her... _ahem_ , guests.”

When your mother turned, you _knew_ she hated them. Her back straightened and there was a twitch under her left eye. Her hand clenched a little harder and you could see the way her eye ran over every single one of them. You sucked in a breath through your nose and pasted on the most fake grin you could manage.

You stepped in front of her. “Yes, this is Sans, Stretch, Serif and Red.”

Sans stood, but you watched his expression. He was tense, and his sockets were narrowed at your mother. You jumped a little where you stood as you felt the other three moving to stand around you. They were all tense, and each of them were staring at your mother. From an outsider's view, it looked like they were giving her lackadaisical smiles with not a worry in the world. But you could feel how stiff each of them were.

Stretch wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in close and stroking your arm with his hand. “nice to meet'cha, missus l/n,” he said. “you've got quite the daughter here.”

Sans nodded. “been a good friend to my bro and i for the last couple of years.”

Red chuckled. “she's been damn good company, too. knows her way around a controller.”

Serif's grin turned a little...sinister. “she's a fantastic dancer, too. could have gone big with that talent of hers.”

You didn't know what startled you more. The way Red seemed to lose his speech issue, or the was they all seemed to gang up on her without being threatening about it. You felt yourself sag a little bit against Stretch, who moved his arm. It was instantly replaced with Red's, who pulled you close and clacked his teeth to the side of your head in a small kiss.

You felt your face flush when your mother's eyes narrowed at them all, but she kept on that stupid, fake smile. But you could see she got the picture. They didn't like her, and they knew she didn't like them.

It was tense in the room for a few moments before your father cleared his throat. “Kelly, can you see to the kitchen, my dear?”

She sniffed, not saying anything but looking at you with a gleam in her eyes. You stared at her back as she walked away stiffly, calling a few names through the house. You knew they must have been the help. But right as you thought you could relax, you heard two more voices that had nails hammered into your eardums.

“Hey, bro, look who showed up.”

“Aw, look.”

“Fuck, I can't catch a break,” you muttered under your breath.

Your Mamaw sent you a sympathetic look as you turned to see Silas and Andrew making their way over to you. Twins by nature, but actually pretty different. Silas was popular, and loved his sports and girls. You were disgusted with him the most. Andrew, while the nerdy type, was just as outgoing as Silas. They both ended up with full rides to their choice university. And of course, always had mommy dearest to back them up.

Your fingers were twitching and you could hear your Papaw muttering “here we go again” as your brothers approached you. You kept your back straight and you could feel the questioning eyes of three of the skeletons around you. You were going to have a lot of explaining to do.

But right now, you needed to face what was coming to you.

“Hey, guys,” you said, your voice small. “What's up?”

They glanced at each other as they stopped in front of the chair that Stretch had vacated. Then they burst into laughter that had you wincing. You don't see them for almost a year and they laugh? You guess you should have seen that one coming. And with the way Silas was looking at you...

Memories were resurfacing and you sucked in a deep breath before steeling yourself. You weren't alone with him, and there were others around you. He wouldn't touch you or try to insinuate anything with people in the room. He knew better than that.

You hoped.

You really tried to ignore the way Silas's eyes were roving over your form in the tight dress. You really did. You regretted with not going with something a little less...form fitting. A shiver of disgust and nerves wracked your body.

“Is that anyway to greet your brothers?” Silas asked, fake pouting. “Man, that's rich. No hug?”

“Would prefer not to, no,” you said, moving back into your boys a little more.

“Then you gonna introduce us to your buddies?” Andrew asked, nudging his twin as he motioned for the little army surrounding you.

“Oh, yeah.” You snapped out of the trance you were in, which didn't go unnoticed by the boys around you. “This is Sans, Serif, Red and Stretch. They're the skeletons I'm living with, along with their brothers.”

“Man, you'll live with their brothers, but not your own?” Silas scoffed. “Talk about lame. Come on, give me a hug! I haven't seen you in so long!”

“She said no,” your Mamaw piped in. You could feel her glare. “You still know nothing about a woman's personal space, Silas. It's getting annoying.”

He held up his hands, but you could see he was getting aggravated. Your hand sought Sans's and Serif's, squeezing their hands. It helped to ground you as you breathed out through your nose. You needed to be strong. You knew they were going to be here, you knew this would probably happen, so you just pasted on another false smile while looking at your boys.

“Guys, these are...my brothers,” you said softly. “This is Silas and Andrew. They're older than me by a few years.”

“Five, to be exact,” Andrew said, nodding. He held out his hand. “It's nice to meet you. Mother has told us some stuff about you.”

Your blood ran cold and your eyes widened a little. When no one went to take his hand, you let out a little nervous chuckle and swallowed thickly, looking at Sans.

“So...you guys wanna see my room?”

“now that's what 'm talkin' 'bout,” Red purred, nuzzling into your temple.

You chuckled, moving away from everyone as you almost ran from the room. “I'm gonna give them a tour. If mom asks, tell her I'll be down in a bit when dinner is actually done!”

You didn't wait for an answer as you hauled ass up the stairs, making a beeline for the west wing of the house. You always hated how big this house was. It was unnecessary how much room there was, and you could tell they all thought the same thing as you made your way through the halls. You passed so many doors, most of them closed. You could see there were signs on some of them now, indicating that they were being used as guests rooms for family.

You couldn't wait for this entire day to be over.

You made it to the wing, your body on autopilot as you made your way to your room. You paused with your hand on the handle of the door, taking in a breath before you opened it up, revealing where you spent the first eighteen years of your life.

It was still how you left it. Your walls were a faded purple color, and you could see your bed was still perfectly made from the last time you used it. The closet doors were still open, revealing most of it to be empty. The floor was covered in a cream carpet and you moved in to see that everything had recently been dusted off.

Everyone moved into the room and you went to sit on the bed. Yup, still felt like a cloud.

“so, care t' explain those two losers downstairs?”

Red's voice was soft, kind, but firm. You tensed a little as you blew out a breath. Where did you even begin with everything?

“They're my brothers,” you said, shrugging.

“honey, we could tell that, but they certainly didn't act like brothers,” Stretch said, leaning against the wall closest to the window. “and one of them didn't _look_ at you like you were his sister.”

“oh, so i wasn't the only one who noticed that,” Serif grumbled, plopping down on a fuzzy bean bag chair you had in front of a TV.

“nah, pretty sure we all noticed that,” Sans said, nodding.

Red only nodded with him.

“Whether they act like it or not doesn't mean anything,” you said softly, looking at the floor. “They're my brothers. Or, they were when we were kids. But once they grew up and Silas made his...'interest' known to me? I wanted nothing to do with them. My mother only encouraged the behavior, while my father kept them away from me every chance he got. Even Andrew seemed to shrug off the behavior of his twin...”

“interest?” Red snarled. “'t better not be th' kinda 'interest' i think yer talkin' 'bout, kitten. or 'm gonna make sure they have a _**real great fuckin' time**_.”

Your lack of a response was answer enough. Red was cursing up a storm now, pacing the entire room as he snarled to himself. Sans and Stretch were looking at you with wide sockets, worry and disgust clear on their faces. Serif's sockets had gone dark, his grin strained at the edge's as he took in what information he just got.

It was a part of your past you never wanted to revisit. You never thought on it anymore unless the holidays got closer. For reasons that were obvious. You had put that behind you, opting to keep moving forward. Luckily, nothing ever came of his advances, and your father made sure you were never left alone with him.

You told the boys as much, telling them more than once that you were fine. Nothing had happened. You were okay. You were just uncomfortable to be around him. And it was one of the reasons you didn't want to be around your mother.

Who knows, maybe Daisy would marry your brother. Then he could leave you alone and you could avoid both of them until the holidays. Then you could come over with your boys and brag how great you have it.

The thought actually sent a small shiver up your back.

You didn't like your brothers, but Christ, you didn't want either them to get stuck that bitch. That would be on your mind for the rest of your life, and you couldn't handle that.

Now, you were leaned up against the headboard to your bed, telling a story about each room in the west wing. Each one had it's own memories. Some good, some bad. You never really kept track of them, but you did know there were a few rooms that were still hard to go into.

At some point, you let Stretch convince you to show them said rooms, and you waved them along with you as you left your room behind. You went through the halls, opening each door and waving them inside. The first door, was the art studio.

“wow. think dusty would like it in here?” Stretch asked, looking around the room.

As the others nodded absently and poked around you, furrowed your brows and looked at him. “Dusty?”

Red nodded. “yeah, he might be some kinda spooky lil shit, but he likes t' paint an' draw an' stuff,” he mumbled, picking up a paint brush. “real artsy kinda thing. says a friend o' his helped him learn t' curb the insanity.”

You hummed, looking around your old painting room. Maybe you could give some of this stuff to him? The paints would probably have to be tossed; you don't know how long it'd been since anyone was in here, so they might be expired. But there were new brushes and easels. Plenty of unused canvases. There were even some sketch books and pencils that were unused. You made note to go through it another day.

You waved them along and they followed. You noticed Serif had paused by one of the canvases that was covered, and you saw the cloth over it fluttering back down. You whistled to catch his attention, and he quickly came with you. You turned to look at the covered canvas one more time before shutting off the light and closing the door behind you.

The next room was the music room. There was a grand piano, and a couple of keyboards and some drums. You even saw a guitar over in the corner. You had completely forgotten you had any of these. The memories of coming into this room for practices seemed like so long ago.

“wow, kiddo,” Sans said. His fingers traced over the cover to the keys on the piano. “you know how to play?”

The clack of your heels echoed in the room as you came closer, a small smile on your face. You touched the side of the mahogany wood and let your fingers ghost over the surface.

“Kind of,” you admitted. “Not very well anymore, but I know a thing or two.”

“d'ya mind?”

You startled when Red took a seat the bench, moving the cover off of the keys. You shook your head and moved away from it watching as he wiggled his fingers for a moment before letting the first chords he hit echo through the room. You instantly recognized Beethoven's Für Elise, chills racing up your back as Red expertly played the instrument in front of him.

Your eyes widened as you watched his body flow with the music. You didn't see any traces of his red magic, and his eye sockets were shut as the melody drifted from the piano. You looked around the room to see the guys around with their sockets closed, listening to the music flowing from the instrument.

You knew someone had to have been up here to play it. It shouldn't sound this good after being unused for so long. Or maybe it could? You didn't remember what your teacher told you. You knew, though, that this skeleton playing the piano like he had been doing it for years was gonna take your heart and run with it.

The song was always so beautiful. You loved listening to it, even humming along quietly as you took a seat next to Red on the bench. He peeked an eye open at you before his grin widened just a tad and he went back to playing.

No one said anything as the five of you listened to the music. You were careful not to lean against him as his fingers worked over the keys and played with a practice you only dreamed you had.

_Bet those fingers would be good at other things._

You damn near choked on your spit as your thoughts took a turn. Okay, well, holy shit. Maybe seeing them all in suits had been a horrible idea and you were regretting letting them wear those damn things.

No one seemed to notice your little moment and as the song came to a close, Red pulled the cover back down gently. You stared at him in awe before blowing out a breath.

“That was amazing!” you whispered. “How did you learn?”

“found some ol' piece o' junk not long after gettin' here,” he mumbled, red tinting his cheekbones as he rubbed his neck. “jus' somethin' i taught m'self t' do.”

“let's go see the other rooms?” Stretch suggested, grinning as Red shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“Of course,” you said.

You got up from the bench and you led the boys from the room, turning the light off and closing the door. You noticed that Stretch had been eyeing the guitar in the room. Maybe you could give that to him? Maybe he wouldn't actually want it?

Another question for another day.

Another room opened up into what used to be the dancing studio. The floors were still waxed to a shiny finish, and the bars were still along the wall. There were speakers in each corner of the room and the mirrors...

You watched yourself through them, memories hitting you like a tidal wave. You remember staring at yourself in those very mirrors while you practiced all day, almost every day. You would prance around the room, your feet tripping numerous times. You could almost feel the aches and soreness coming from the numerous times you fell and danced yourself breathless.

There were chairs still set up in the corners for when you had your mini audience and you smiled a little. Your mother had destroyed most of the stuff in the room, and there were a few cracks and missing pieces in the mirrors, but you could see that your dad still tried his best to recreate what your mother had destroyed.

“this was your studio?” Serif asked, moving further into the room.

You nodded over at him, moving to touch a crack in the middle mirror. “Yeah. It was...a lot worse when mom threw a fit and destroyed it, but looks like dad tried to salvage what he could of it.”

“how bad was the room before?” Sans asked, looking around.

You didn't answer, your finger still gently tracing the crack. You looked over at Serif and smiled, motioning for the boys to head to the door and get ready to go the next room. While you loved this room, it was still something that hurt you being in.

When you got to the next room, all the boys nearly ran through to touch whatever they could. Gaming consoles, video games, a large TV. It was your own place to get away and game for a little while. You had almost begged your mother for this room, since Andrew and Silas got one of their own, and you wanted one, too.

_“Video games are for boys, Y/n,” your mother scoffed, shaking her head. “Young ladies have no need, nor do they have time for that kind of behavior. Come, lessons are soon.”_

You could hear her voice echoing around you as you entered the room, running your hand over the leather couch you loved napping on. Out of all the rooms in the house, this was the one place your mother refused to go. You'd spend hours here and not see or hear her.

It was the most wondrous feeling.

You looked over to see Red and Serif digging through your games, talking to themselves and pointing at certain things. You saw Sans looking at the TV and Stretch was sprawled out on the couch in front of you. You smiled and leaned over, watching Sans.

“all this yours, honey?”

You looked down at him, nodding. “Yup. Dad set this up behind mom's back since she didn't think I should have it. But I needed a place where she wouldn't go, so Dad did this anyway. She tore into him about it for months. Still gets pissy about it when you mention it, too.”

“ya haven't lived 'ere 'n a while, right, kitten?” Red asked. You turned your head, nodding to him and smiling. “then why th' hell d'ya have all these games? some o' these woulda come out after ya left home.”

You hummed. “Dad must have gotten them and put them in here for 'just in case' reasons. Like if I needed to get away from the holiday party or...”

“or you had to come home?” Sans finished softly.

You nodded, moving around the couch and plopping on Stretch's lap. He said nothing as he sat up, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you closer until the both of you were comfortable. You stayed there as the boys looked over your stuff, grumbling and asking about different games and consoles.

They were like kids in a candy store, and maybe you could ask your dad if you could take some of these things home with you so you could show them what the consoles and stuff are like? You really wanted to see how the boys would react to the Nintendo 64 controllers.

You snickered to yourself as they continued digging through the games. You noticed Serif had pulled one out and his face was glowing indigo. Thinking he might have been embarrassed, you tried to think of the games you had that could do that. But you when heard him snorting like he was trying to fight back laughter, your eyes widened.

He didn't find the Barbie game, did he?!

He finally broke out into howling laughter that drew the others' attention away from what they were doing to look at him. You covered your face as it flushed, and you saw the familiar pink case of the Barbie game you had been obsessed with when you were a kid. While you had enjoyed your dragons and fantasy world, along with your love of Hot Wheels cars and Legos, you had enjoyed a couple of Barbie games here and there.

But to see that one of your _bondmates_ found it? Oh, you knew you were _never_ living this shit down ever again.

“Guys, please,” you groaned.

Now they were all laughing, wheezing around you as Stretch's arms kept you in place. You couldn't even get up and walk away from them as they leaned against whatever they were nearest to and laughing. You felt a smile creep onto your face as you tried your best not to laugh with them. Sure, it was embarrassing, but you weren't going to be mad about it.

This was their chance to learn more about you while they got to. Because unless there was something done about your mother and your brothers, you weren't coming back unless it was another holiday. Maybe next time, you'll bring Mutt and Black just to watch your mother squirm. She never did like the...edgier guys you had in your life.

Maybe that's why she didn't like your ex.

Once the boys had settled, you slid off of Stretch's lap, much to his complaint, and you went over to kneel next to where Red and Serif would. Christ, it was lot harder to do in this dress than you thought it would be. You gently took the case from Serif as he wiped the magic from his cheeks. It was nice to see these guys let go. They were always so tense, and it was probably because they were always working on that stupid machine. You guess you didn't blame them though. You were sure some of them really just wanted to go home. You brushed off the hurt you felt for a moment as you put the case back into the shelf, standing once more.

“I was five,” you deadpanned. “Now, dinner should be done soon and there's one more room. Wanna see?”

They all begrudgingly left the room with you. You smiled at their back as you shut the light off and closed the room's door. Right when you were about to enter the next room, you paused. A shiver crawled its way down your back and you glanced around, hoping the boys didn't notice. Something wasn't right, and you wanted to figure out what.

But later.

First, you opened the door to the library you had just for yourself. There was another one in the house somewhere, filled with almost the same books this one did, but that one was for them to entertain guests and such. Yours was for you, and you alone. To read, to write, to relax. This was your room when none of the other rooms were doing you justice, or you just wanted some peace and quiet.

The boys all stared around the room with wide sockets. None of them said anything as they seemed to split off, and you smiled to yourself. You went over to your old spot by the window, staring out into the backyard gardens. You felt a small smile grace your lips as your mind showed you memories.

All of the good memories of being chased by your father, beating up your brothers. Before your brother turned into some perverse creep, you had loved hanging out with the both of them. You adored them at one point, and part of you still did. But thanks to your mother, your brother thought he was _entitled_ to you. And he had endlessly chased you for your affections, rather than an innocent game of tag.

Which was still really fucking gross, in your opinion.

The boys found you there, sitting sideways on the window seat, and when you look at them with a grin, you didn't notice the way their souls thumped in their chests. Every single day, they were falling for you more and more, and there was nothing they could do but watch. And they were perfectly okay with that.

You finally stood and went over to your chair in front of the fireplace. You spent many winter days and nights here, drinking tea and reading whatever crap you were on at that point. You noticed there was still a book out on the table beside your usual chair and you went to pick it up, smiling.

_The Fires of Heaven_ by Robert Jordan. The book was one of your favorites in the series it belonged to, and you had loved the series since you were a child. You weren't big on religion, and it had it's moments but it didn't suffocate you in the whole religion aspect. Plus, it was a fantasy book! Who doesn't love some trolls and shit?

This was your second favorite room in the entire house and you talked with the boys quietly before someone cleared their throat in the still open doorway. You looked up to see your father. Now that you could see him better without all the chaos surrounding you, you say just how tired he looked. There were bags under his eyes and there was more gray in his beard than there was the year before. You felt your heart squeeze as you came closer to him.

“Hey, dad,” you said softly. “Dinner done?”

“Ah, yes,” he said, chuckling. “I just came to get you. But...there is apparently...one more person joining us. Your mother failed to mention him coming.”

You paused. There was a wariness about him that you knew he didn't have. He seemed super tense and you scowled as you tried to think of someone your mother would have invited that would make your father feel the _need_ to warn you.

“Let's just go down to dinner, and we'll deal with it there?” you said, smiling and taking his hand. “Let's get this over with.”

He smiled and leaned down, pressing a warm kiss to your forehead. You waved the boys along with you, waiting for Serif to turn off the light and shut the door. The six of you made your way downstairs, with your father actively trying to learn more about the boys you've been staying with. You'd have to really thank Red later for trying to talk like a normal being rather than trying to cut out half the letters.

As you made it down to the first floor, you let go of your dad's hand only for it to be taken by Red. Stretch took your other one, and the four of them led you away from the stairs to head into the dining room with the rest of your stupid family. And Daisy.

“Y/n?”

You stopped, eyes wide and choking on air. You felt yourself shaking and the voice that had called your name spoke to you again. The last time you heard that voice, he had left you heart broken and betrayed while he went to whatever college he wanted to. All because he left you and got paid for it.

You were breaking slowly, gripping onto Red and Stretch's hands with a death grip when you turned to see your ex standing there, hands in his slack pockets. You couldn't breathe and tears brimmed the corner of your eyes. You felt sick to your stomach as he grinned at you.

He still had the same vibe he did when he left. Mister bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He still had his gauges, and his piercings. You could see some new tattoos on his hands and coming up the sides of his neck. You looked away from him, trying to remind yourself to breathe.

When you looked at him again, he wasn't smiling anymore. But he was staring at the skeletons who were now standing in front of you, warily watching the newest member of this dumb dinner. His eyes briefly fell on your hands wrapped in the boys' before they flicked back up. Those blue eyes pierced right through you.

“Y/n? Hey...”

“Keagan.”

Your voice broke, and you mentally cursed yourself for that. It had been so long since you said his name, and you were trembling. You were thankful that the boys were around you now, and Red was the first one to break the silence.

“kitten? who's this?”

While Keagan sneered at the nickname he gave you, you sighed through your nose. It was now or never.

“Boys, I'd like you to meet Keagan,” you said amiably. “My ex boyfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: i have a talent.  
> Readz: Oh yeah?  
> Red: *plays piano like a pro*  
> Readz: _r.i.p to my panties._


	25. Thanksgiving Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit showdown.
> 
> Black and Mutt try to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Here. Have a double update.
> 
> This took me a while to write, and it hurt editing it. But I'm here, and everything is okay.
> 
> Enjoy. <3
> 
> Follow my Tumblr!  
> [This trash pile.](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [littlexsiren's story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786)
> 
> Here's a story I beta!  
> [Echobird53's story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245132/chapters/50584904)

The silence was deafening as the boys gathered the information you just told them. Red and Stretch's hands tightened on yours, but you didn't mind. The slight pain it brought helped ground you, and you looked at Sans and Serif. They were glaring at the man in front of you.

The same one who had broken your heart for fucking money. And now he was here? What was your mother trying to pull here? You weren't sure, but you were getting pretty fucking mad.

“Y/n, who are these guys?” Keagan asked, motioning toward the boys around you. “I haven't met them before.”

“That's because you left.”

The words were like ice coming from your mouth. You sucked in a breath and blew it out as Red shook with silent laughter next to you.

“Keagan, this is Sans, Serif, Red and Stretch,” you said, motioning to each of them. “And they're my bondmates.”

His eyes widened and his lip curled in disgust. You knew it was coming. You didn't care as you gave him a wave with the hand that was holding Red's before turning and heading into the dining room. You didn't want to see him anymore. But you knew this dinner was about to be the most dramatic dinner in the history of L/n dinners ever.

You were so _not_ ready.

You entered the room and everyone quieted down. All eyes went to you as aunts and uncles and cousins came up to you and hugged you. You were asked so many times about your boys, but they ended up introducing themselves. You had said their names so many times you were so over it. They took over and a lot of your family were cordial and nice to them. But you saw Daisy across the room, eyes wide as she stared at the four boys with you.

You sent her a smile and a little wave of your fingers before you went back to talking to one of your cousins. She was always one of the ones you got along with the best. The more you mingled, the more you could feel you losing yourself and who you were and were torn back in time.

And it didn't go unnoticed.

The boys pulled away, watching you as you interacted with your family. The girl they had come to adore wasn't even there. Your back was straight, and you were acting so strangely proper. Not to mention, where was the sailor mouth you had on you? You straightened your necklace more than once and made sure your earrings were straight.

Your hands were crossed in front of you and when you laughed, you put your hand in front of your mouth. It was like watching your individuality be stripped from you, replaced by someone you hated the most. Like you were just another uppity, aristocratic sheep. The boys just looked at each other and looked back as you made sure your feet were together and you straightened yourself out any time you caught yourself slouching.

There was an ache in their souls as they watched you. This wasn't the girl they were slowly falling for. This was a scared little mouse in a house full of pretentious felines. The entire house screamed money, and the people within it were no better. They could spot a few of your family members who looked like they could understand the struggle of living life without money to fall back on.

But watching as you became someone else killed them.

“It's hard, isn't it?”

They jumped, and Sans looked over to see your dad, Bryson, standing beside them. But his eyes were on you as you mingled with the family.

“sir?” Stretch asked, confused.

“She is never able to do what she wants,” Bryson sighed, shaking his head. “When I saw her come out of the car with you lot, she looked so much better. There was a light I saw in her eyes that had dulled when she was a child.”

“well, i hope we can help her,” Serif said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“One of you go to her now,” Bryson suggested. “Get her attention. I want to see something.”

“i got this,” Red said, rolling his shoulders back and walking forward.

When he got to you, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled you close to him. You startled, seeming to come out of whatever trance you was in before you started berating Red for scaring you. But they could almost see the transformation back to the you they adored the most. You were laughing at some thing he said, trying to push his skull away from your face.

Bryson hummed next to them. “Like I thought.”

“sir, we're going to take care of her,” Stretch said, his eyelights following as you and Red went to talk to the next group.

“we don't like making promises,” Sans murmured. “but i will definitely promise to make sure she never goes back to that empty shell again.”

Serif nodded, and they watched Red look at them, his lackadaisical grin fading for a moment as he nodded before he put it back on and went back to talking. You were laughing and leaning against him and they could all tell he was soaking it up. But none of them commented on it.

They just never wanted to see that side of you again. That had been absolutely terrible.

They watched as you pulled away from the next group of family members, heading over to them quickly and blowing out a breath, moving a strand of hair behind your ear as you came to a stop in front of them. Your father leaned down and pressed a kiss to your cheek before straightening, frowning over your shoulder.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him,” Bryson said softly.

“he's a real treat,” Red drawled sarcastically. “keagan was 'is name, right?”

You nodded absently. “Yeah, that's right. He wasn't always like that, really. It got really bad when he watched what money could _really_ do for someone.”

Sans scowled, his eyelights locking on Keagan as the human male looked in their direction. He had talked to a few people, like your mother and a couple of cousins. There was an aunt he had talked to as well. Right now, he was talking with your brothers, and all three of them were looking in this direction. He didn't like any of them, and with a single look around him, he could tell the others didn't either.

Something about them really didn't sit right with him. He made sure to glance at each of his duplicates and his brother's lookalike until they looked at him back. All four coming to an understanding you weren't going _anywhere_ by yourself.

You watched as your mother came from the kitchen and announced dinner was being served. With a smile, you and the boys walked to the table. Before anyone could sit next to you, Red was on one side and Sans on the other. Stretch and Serif sat on either side of them, not moving for anyone who asked. Which, thankfully, no one did.

Once everyone was seated, the kitchen staff was quick to bring out tray after tray of food. Mashed potatoes, gravy, ham, turkey, green beans and green bean casserole, yams. There was a huge assortment of food that was placed upon the table and directly in the middle was the turkey. You smiled as you watched your father stand, thanking the staff quietly before heading to the turkey. Room was made for him as he stood and began to carve the turkey.

Food was passed around and you scowled for a moment. Would the boys be okay with human food? They were monsters, made of magic. Would eating this harm them in any way? You couldn't believe that you didn't think about that.  
“don' worry, kitten,” Red leaned over and whispered in your ear. “we'll eat 't jus' fine. we got stuff back at th' house, remember?”

You nodded, placated as you scooped heaping amounts of potatoes and gravy on your plate. Conversations flowed around the room, a lot of the family catching up with each other. You had noticed there was even a good portion of your mother's side of the family here, and it actually shocked you. She dropped contact with most of them when she got married to your dad. She had declared they were too toxic to be around, but you had an inkling it was because her head was too far shoved up her ass; she married a wealthy man, why would she need any of them?

You chatted with a few of your family members, smiling and laughing as they told you stories from the last time you saw them. Your brothers tried to talk to you, but you didn't pay them any mind. You heard Daisy's voice exclaiming how simply amazing the house was and how amazing your mother was.

Sure, some of the money was hers. She was a big name in the medical field, after all. But this was all your father's livelihood. He had worked hard to get to where he was, and she was riding his coattails just like she had wanted to do with you to do with her.

“So how's college going, kiddo?” one of your uncles asked. “Heard you're going to Ebott University?”

All conversation stopped and every eye turned to you. Sans gripped your right leg, giving it a grounding squeeze as you smiled at him, nodding.

“That's right,” you said. “I'm in for zoology.”

“Hmph. Zoology in a monster town,” a cousin murmured. “How fitting.”

The temperature in the room dropped a couple degrees, but no one seemed to notice. You ground your teeth together before pasting on a fake smile.

“It's only fitting because there are animals living there in the wildlife,” you said calmly, your hands shaking as you took a bite of food.

“They're all animals,” one of your aunts stated, looking at the boys near you. “There's even skeletons! How horrible! You must have nightmares nightly.”

_Keep calm, keep calm,_ you reminded yourself as your grip tightened.. _Stabbing Aunt Allison with your fork won't solve issues._

“It's not all bad,” Daisy spoke up. “They're pretty filthy, sure. Hard to deal with, too. But their programs are really good. Just have to get past the grotesque parts.”

“Oh, look at you using big words.”

You slapped a hand over your mouth, eye wide as everyone glanced at you. You really hadn't meant to say that and judging from the way Red's shoulders were bouncing, the quiet snickering from Stretch and Sans and the way Serif was covering his teeth, they had definitely enjoyed it. You glanced at your father, but he was straight faced as usual. You looked at your Mamaw and Papaw, but they only continued eating.

“Well, I do know big words,” Daisy said slowly. “Just because I don't use them very often doesn't mean I don't know them.”

You were so sick of the snobby attitude she had. It was worse than usual today. Must have been because she was around your mother. In your home. God, you didn't want her here. This was supposed to be your haven – kind of – and she was tainting it with her money grubbing bullshit.

_Oh, to hell with it._

“If you're insinuating that I was calling you stupid, you're absolutely correct,” you said, wiping the edges of your mouth. “I have _never_ heard you use bigger words than 'dick'.”

There it was. Red's snickering was getting louder. Keagan was watching the display with curiosity. Your grandparents were hiding their mouths from view, but you didn't pay them any mind as you set your napkin back in your lap and glanced up.

Oh, she was mad again. Her eyes blazed fire at you, and you met her stare for stare as the family looked between the two of you. You gave her a smile, and that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. She sneered at you, throwing her napkin in her own lap and pointing at you.

“At least I'm not fucking a house full of skeletons!”

That did it.

There was loud laughter from either side, and your grandparents weren't helping. Your mother was squawking, almost choking on the wine she was now trying to chug. Your father then rolled his eyes and shook his head. Your entire family was now raising their voices to be heard over each other. Your brothers were staring at each of the skeletons with wide eyes and, in Silas's case, glares. Keagan looked grossed out, his face turning pale as he looked around the table.

_“You're kidding me, right?”_

_“Who cares? She can do what she wants!”_

_“That's so disgusting!”_

_“Who would stoop so low?”_

_“Dude, that's freaking awesome! Get it, girl!”_

_“Dude, that's actually pretty hardcore. I can respect that.”_

The voices were overlapping each other, and you were still sitting straight faced as your boys wheezed beside you, laughing so hard they were crying. Any time they tried to say something, they just broke out into another round of laughter. But Red and Sans still had enough of a mind to each keep a hand on your thighs to keep you in your seat.

Your grandparents were faring no better. They were being yelled at by some of the other members of the family to get things in control, but they couldn't even talk. Someone had run to grab your Papaw's inhaler from the den before he had an asthma attack.

You didn't say anything, waiting for everything to settle before you did. And when you were finally able to, you didn't even get to say anything as Red blew out a breath. He threw an arm around the back of your chair and leaned a little closer to you.

“man, kitten,” he chuckled, “didn' know we was at that stage yet.”

Sans hummed in agreement, turning your face to him and bringing you in close. Your face erupted in bright red as he smirked at you.

“gotta say, princess, thought that was only a dream?”

“kinda jealous if the others are gettin' something i'm not,” Stretch chimed in, shaking his head.

Serif only nodded in agreement, amusement clear on all of their skulls. You pulled out of Sans's hold, turning to face the gawking stares of your family and Keagan and Daisy. You fidgeted a little before one of your cousins stood, leaning on the table and grinning.

“Hey, if she can date monsters, that means I can, right?” he asked, looking around the table. “Cause I've _definitely_ been doing that anyway.”

This caused another uproar that had you laughing now. Your family was always on the louder side during holidays, but it was even more so with the added members. Daisy made a choked, disgusted noise, throwing back the rest of the wine she was drinking and even taking Keagan's and downing his, too. He didn't pay much mind as he simply stood up and left the room.

You were looking up at the ceiling, fanning your face to try and stop the tears that threatened you were laughing so hard. There was still a cacophony of noise around you, everyone trying to be heard over the others, but no one was willing to be silenced. You watched as few more of your cousins admitted into being interested in or dating or having intercourse with a monster or two. Even one of your aunts admitted to it.

You glanced at your mother, who was _fuming_. Daisy was quietly talking to her, as though trying to calm her. A part of you felt your blood boiling as you glared at the pair. That should be you with your mother, not her. But your mother looked at Daisy with such a smile that sent a pain searing through your sternum.

You hadn't seen a smile that soft since you had been a little girl.

Fuck, that hurt.

“honey?”

You looked over to Stretch. Whatever he saw on your face made him flinch, but he and the others seemed to understand. You looked to your father, who just looked more haggard than he did when you first walked in. Your grandparents, while still getting a kick out of the mayhem around them, glanced at you and your father.

You let a lone tear slip down your cheek.

“Enough!”

The booming voice silenced the entire room. Your father had stood from his chair, slamming his fists into the table. Silverware and plates clattered on the table and you watched as some knives and forks fell to the floor. Your mother's sniffles could be heard in the now silent room. Everyone slowly sat back in their seat as your father moved his gaze around the room. When he landed on you, a softness came over him that made your broken heart mend.

He was your father. Throughout all the bullshit you had endured, he was always right by your side. He would stick it out with you, no matter the cost. Except for his marriage. Which, you understood. At some point, he loved your mother so much that he had married her. You had come to terms with that years ago.

What you couldn't let go of was the way your mother had allowed all of this to happen. For the love of the stars, your brother _had romantic feelings for you_ , but somehow you were the family fuck up. You finally found something you enjoyed to do, but she wanted to take it away from you because _she_ didn't think you were good doing it. You wanted to explore your options, but you were the bad seed because you didn't go where she wanted you to go.

“stay wit' us, kitten.”

“it's alright, princess.”

“we got ya, honey.”

“we're right here, sweets.”

The voices of your boys murmuring to you had you gripping onto a couple of sleeves. You didn't notice the way your father nodded in approval at them and the way your grandparents smiled as the skeletons gathered around you. You also didn't notice the way your mother looked thoroughly disgusted.

“Get out.”

Your head snapped up. Your mother was staring at you, staring daggers into your eyes and her lips curled. She looked like she was about to grab the bottle of wine in front of her and chug the entire thing.

“Don't you dare, Kelly–”

“Silence!” your mother snapped, silencing your Mamaw. She glared at your mother as the woman turned her head back to you. “I want you gone. Get out. Leave my house. I don't want a daughter like you if this is who you're becoming. A goddamn low life, monster fucking _whore_.”

The words pierced through you and you felt your world shift around you as your family once more roared in rage. But the ones that had been fighting were now attacking her. Your father was wide eyed and stunned silent, his knuckles white as he gripped the cloth under his hand. You don't know if he was more shocked about her words, or the _choice_ of words she spewed. But whatever it was, it made him go red in the face.

But no one got a word out as there was another slam on the table. You glanced over to see that your Papaw had gotten up, his hands moving to keep him standing as he stood from his chair. Even your mother's side of the family had gone silent, watching this old man as he cut his eyes toward your mother, who was also now standing.

It was deathly silent. There wasn't a single peep in the room; you could have heard a pin drop. You heard a door creak somewhere and you looked toward the door that led to the kitchen. Some of the help had poked their head out to see what the cause of the commotion was. You looked toward the head chef and shook your head the slightest bit. He nodded and corralled the others into the kitchen once more.

You watched the silent stand off with your family. You could see some of the people around you looking between the others, as though unsure what was going on.

“I will not stand for this,” your Papaw finally said, his voice rough. “I have stood by and watched this long enough.”

“Dad...”

“Bryson, honey, please,” your Mamaw said quietly. “Let him speak.”

Your father sighed. “Alright, mother.”

However, your mom was shaking where she stood. “I will not have my daughter... _canoodling_ with these things in my face! In my home! She has so many more options to choose from, including the man who came here today to see her!”

_I fucking knew it._

She was trying to set you back up with Keagan.

“You mean the same one you paid to leave me?” you asked softly.

There were a few shifts and rustles of clothes as people looked to your mom. It didn't deter her as she looked over at you. You flinched under the pure hatred she held in her gaze, but the boys surrounding you were keeping you grounded. They rubbed your neck and back, ran their phalanges across your skin, played with your hair. They whispered to you, but you paid no mind as you stared at your mother.

You were too goddamn determined to let her get to you now. After all of the shit that had happened, you weren't about to let this be swept under the rug, too.

Apparently, her side of the family hadn't known about you paying her ex to leave you.

“Please tell me you didn't actually do that, sis?” one of your aunts asked, leaning forward to stare at your mom. “Kelly, come on. Her and Keagan had been good together.” She glanced at the boys around you. “No offense, of course.”

They shrugged it off as your mother scoffed.

“He was a ruffian. He had no business being with my daughter. All I did was tell him I could help him achieve his life dream. All he had to do was leave my daughter.”

People bristled at her nonchalant tone. You looked over to see Keagan coming back into the room, heading back for his seat. But he didn't sit down as he looked around the table.

“She's not entirely blameless,” Keagan said, shrugging. “I took the money. I came today to convince her that I regret my choice.”

“But do you really?” you asked, slowly standing yourself.

“Nope.”

That single word cut deep, and you felt another stab at your sternum, and you thought your heard something cracking. You heard Stretch mutter a curse as you straightened your back. Your hands clenched into the fabric of your gown and it took everything you had in you to not launch yourself over the table as Daisy's smug smile.

“If that's the case,” your Papaw intoned, “I would like you and that brown haired... _girl_ to please leave this house.”

Keagan didn't say anything else, just shooting you a look before walking away. Daisy gawped at him, looking between him, you and your mother. Your mom took her hand and held on tight, glaring at the man she called her father in law.

You already knew it wasn't the last you'd see of Keagan now. He knew where you lived, where you went to school now. You shook where you were, but steeled yourself. That was a problem to solve for another day.

“She doesn't have to go anywhere,” your mother said, drawing your attention back to them. “She's my guest.”

“And she is not part of this family,” one of your uncles said, glaring at her. “This is now becoming family business, and she has no reason to be here. So get her the fuck out.”

You watched as Daisy struggled with wanting to stay to defend herself, or just leaving. The tension was thick in the air as you looked around before landing it back on Daisy. Finally your mother sighed, turning to smile as her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“Thank you for coming, Daisy,” your mother said softly. “I hope to see you soon.”

“You, too, ma.”

Another crack in your calm facade had you reeling; your chest was on _fire_. The boys were growing restless and you fought off the tears that threatened to fall. Even when Daisy passed you with a shit eating grin, you kept your face forward, ignoring her as her heels clicked away.

You'd take care of her attitude later.

Once everyone was sure that it was just family, your mother pointed to the boys around you.

“What about them?” she seethed. “They're not family either!”

“They're more family to Y/n than you're being,” your Mamaw huffed. “Hell, not even her brothers are being very familial right now.”

Your brothers flinched under the eyes of the others. Everyone had noticed when you had started avoiding them, which everyone had thought was weird. Growing up, you had been close to the twins despite the age difference. Once puberty had hit you like a train, you had slowly distanced yourself from them until you were never seen with them.

Your father cleared his throat. “I believe this has come to a head,” he said. “You have tried to mold Y/n to your image for years, and it became an obsession when she hit her teenage years. From one hobby to the next. And when she found a couple that she enjoyed, you ripped it from under her so you could move on to the newest one.”

“Can I just ask one thing?” an aunt asked. “Why has she been avoiding Si and Drew? They used to be so close when they were younger.”

“Because Silas wants to be a sister fucker,” one of your cousins chortled.

Silas growled low in his throat, standing and pointing a spoon at said cousin. “You watch your mouth, Ryder! I have no problems throwing you out on your ass!”

“You know it's true,” Ryder said, shrugging. “Some of us have had our suspicions. After all, we've seen the way you ogle her when she isn't even looking! Not to mention, the way you used to always try and 'casually' brush against her tits or her butt. Are you kidding me?”

“Just because our side of the family is from the south doesn't mean we _really_ wanna keep it in the family,” your Aunt Chloe commented, earning a few chuckles around her.

“Please tell me that's a joke,” your Uncle Barry asked, his eye twitching.

“Nope,” Ryder said, grinning as Silas tensed. “In fact, good ol' Drew knew about it and didn't say anything, either. Isn't that right, Aunt Kelly?”

“That's enough talking about my sons,” your mother hissed instead, glowering at Ryder. “Especially coming from a faggot like you!”

“I suggest you bite your tongue,” your Mamaw snapped. “I have no problems kicking your ass myself!”

“Tell 'em, Mamaw!” cheered another cousin, Liza.

“Gettin' off topic over here,” you reminded them.

“Right,” your father said, glaring at everyone. “We can discuss my son's indiscretions later. As for now, I would like to as my wife if she remembers the prenup she signed when we got married?”

With your mother's nod, he reached under the table and pulled out a manila envelope. He calmly walked over to your mother and handed it to, heading back to where he was. Your mother huffed, tearing the thing open before peeking in at its contents. The way her face paled made your curiosity peak and you found yourself leaning forward.

“Divorce?” she squawked. “Why in the world?”

“I'm not happy with you. I haven't been for years. But I do hear that Benedict down the road has enjoyed your company on more than one occasion.”

Oh, shit.

_Apply icy water to the burn._

You couldn't help the grin that lifted your lips as you watched her reading over the papers. Talking had risen once more and you heard snippets of “about time” and “took him long enough”. It made your heart a little better knowing that your father had finally opened his eyes. But the fact that he did this over a family meal was what astounded you.

Your father hated being in the spotlight. And he certainly hated making a scene. But here he was, doing just that. Part of you was proud, and part of you was excited.

“I expect you out of my house within the next month,” your father said. “Take your sons with you. I don't want their behavior to be associated with me any longer.”

Your mother was too busy reading over everything with wide eyes, her mouth open and closing like a fish out of water. Every eye was on her as she flipped through some of the stuff on there, including pictures of her seeing said man from down the road.

“Bryson...”

“No, I won't hear it,” your father said, cutting his hand through the air. “You would dare disown your own daughter because of what? She's happy? Look at her, Kelly. I said, _look at her_.” Your father's sharp voice even made you wince as your mother looked at you. But Serif turned your head away from her, burying it in the jacket of his suit. “She's _happy_ , Kelly! I haven't seen her shine like this in _years_. She's smiling, laughing, and most importantly, _she's being herself_. As her father, there's nothing more than I want for her than that.”

“She was happy and smiling back then, too,” Silas said, shaking his head and his father paused. It really made you nauseous to see him come to her defense. “Y/n just has a flair for the dramatics, and we all know this.”

You heard your family whispering amongst themselves, murmuring quietly. But you still caught snippets of conversations. Your shoulders tensed and you felt yourself getting sick as you heard some of them actually _agree_ with your brother, causing another small pang to your sternum. But the boys around you murmured to you, too.

“it'll be alright, princess.”

“fuck 'em, kitten.”

“you're with us, sweets.”

“ignore 'em, honey.”

“Si had a point,” your mother snorted. “You act like I was the one dragging her from hobby to hobby. She was never satisfied, and you could see it on her face. She was just an ungrateful brat, and she's nothing but disrespectful, bringing her...her _harem_ into my home!”

…

_**S n a p.** _

Your head whipped around as the boys moved away from you. Everyone in the room quieted down, and you heard Ryder mutter an “oh shit” as your father and Papaw sat back down. You stood swiftly to your feet, hands clenched to your side as you glared down at the woman you had called mother.

Rage coursed through your veins as you straightened your back and took in a deep breath through your nose. You let it out slowly and narrowed your eyes to slits as you looked at your mother.

“How dare you?” you hissed. “Just... _how dare you_?! I was never satisfied? I'm ungrateful? Do you even hear the words coming from your mouth right now? Do you know how fucking _stupid_ you sound!?”

“Sister, please...”

“Shut the hell up, you gross living _vermin_!” you snapped, your eyes cutting to your brother. Silas seemed to actually shrink under your glare. “I've got a few choice words for you, too. But we'll get there in a moment.” You looked to your mother and she was snarling at you silently.

“What's wrong? Mad because I found my voice?” you barked. “Good. Be mad, because I'm tired of the way you keep treating me. Like I'm the bane of your fucking existence. I have done nothing but try to be that perfect daughter you always wanted. But no, no matter what I did or excelled at, I was never good enough. It was always about the boys and how great they were, or how I kept messing up and making a fool of the family name.

“I'm not sitting by anymore. I'm tired, mom. I'm so tired. I'm sick of the way you treat me, but you obviously have a love of Daisy. You treat her better than me, and I'm fucking blood! _I literally came from your vagina, woman_.”

There were a few sputters and shocked shouts. There was also laughter you knew to belong to your Mamaw as she cackled away, being questioned by her family and even your mom's family. You didn't pause for more than a moment as you glared at her.

“Tell me what I did so wrong?” you snapped now. “What did I do so fucking wrong that you let my brother give me the most _unwanted_ affections, and drug me through all of that _bullshit_?”

The words rang in the air for a long few moments. There were now eyes flitting between you and your brother. Silas was shrinking in his chair, trying to disappear. You cut your eyes to him and opened your mouth, but not before your mother took one final stab at you.

“I didn't want you.”

And there it was.

Your rage left you in a heartbeat. You felt yourself falling back as your family caused another uproar, feeling like you were going to be sick as your chest _burned_. You fell back against your chair, your eyes burning and nose stinging. The boys were there in a heartbeat as you felt something crack inside of you once more. There was a muttered curse from Serif right as Stretch's phone began to go off.

In fact, all of their phones went off at the same time. They answered their phones and Red had yank his phone away from his skull as Edge's voice pierced through the air around him. You didn't hear a thing as you stared ahead. Your eyes leaked, the tears rolling down your face in fat waves.

“Y/n.”

You looked over to see your father had come around the table. He was kneeling next to you, smiling as he took a napkin and dabbed at your eyes and wiped your nose. It was like you were five years old again. You sniffled as you smiled at him, the tears in your eyes gathering at the bottom as he brought you to him in a tight hug.

It was like being thrown back in time again, and being held against your father after a bad nightmare. He whispered to you and talked to you quietly. Reminding you how loved you are, and how things will only get better. He stroked your back with a heavy hand as you sniffled against his shoulder. Your boys stayed by your side, glaring at your mother as their magic threatened to lighten their eye sockets.

When your father pulled away, he placed a lingering kiss to your forehead in the way only father's knew how to do. You smiled at him and took the napkin from him, dabbing at your eyes and wiping your nose by yourself this time. You took in a few deep breaths and shut your eyes.

You couldn't let this woman win. She was your mother, sure. But you were determined. You were too damn determined to let her hurt you. You knew it could have come to this, and you knew you were stronger than this. She helped make you as strong as you are. She helped you realize just how **d e t e r m i n e d** you were.

You finally stood from your chair, and to your shock, a few of your family members followed suit. Hell, even a few who disagreed with you and your life, and some from your mother's own family stood with you. You looked around and noticed the furious faces that were present at the table with you. Your Papaw and Mamaw were even standing, your Papaw gathering your Mamaw's things to leave. You felt your heart swell for a moment.

You took one look at your mother. “I hope you make better choices after this,” you said.

“Y/n–”

You turned away from her and turned your glare to Silas. He was watching everything with wide eyes. You leaned toward him a little, lifting your lip in a silent snarl.

“Don't come near me, or mine,” you said. “You're foul, disgusting. And I hope you find someone who will love you. Do not contact me after today. That includes you, Drew.”

You turned to your father, wrapped your arms around his torso in a hug. There were sounds of chairs scraping back against the tile of the dining hall and he held you close to him. You took in his scent and felt him kiss the top of your head.

“I love you, Little Queen,” he said against the crown of my head. “I'll see you soon, okay?”

You nodded. “I love you, too, dad,” you said quietly, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Everyone quietly made their way from the room. The only person who wasn't as quiet about it was your mother, who was still having a temper tantrum in the other room. But you paid her no mind as Stretch brought you close.

“we're takin' a shortcut while the others take the car,” he said softly. “the others need to see you now.”

“But...”

“we'll explain later, sweets,” Serif said, leaning in to brush his teeth across your forehead. “we'll see ya in a few hours, yeah?”

You nodded as Red and Sans each gave you a kiss on the cheek before they and Serif left through the door. Stretch gathered you to him and you pressed your face to his sternum. Before the two of you fell into the void, you heard your mother shriek one final time.

_“I hate you!”_

When you felt your feet on solid ground again, another audible crack sounded in the room as everyone came running into the living room. You looked around as everyone gathered to you. Black, Pink, Dusty and Crooks were the first to you. You felt their hands trying to help you from where you had fallen when Stretch stepped back to give you your space.

Blue and Papyrus came running in next with Guy, Paps and Buddy right behind them. Edge and Chief were trailing behind with a little tray with small foods. Something easy on the stomach, you hoped. You saw Axe and Sin stroll into the room, Tango, Tiny and Rus hot on their heels. Mutt was next to you in a heartbeat, lifting you from your perch and moving to sit, placing you on his lap as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck.

“what the hell happened?” you heard G say.

You looked up to see the skeleton glowering at Stretch like he had done something. You opened your mouth to defend him when you heard someone clear their throat. You looked over to see two new skeletons you hadn't seen before, standing in the archway to the living room.

The Papyrus lookalike was wearing a scarf that looked like it was made out of the night sky, mixed with the blues of the morning sun. It was bright blue and faded into a deeper indigo, dotted with white spots you guessed were supposed to be stars. He had on a pair of dark jeans tucked into a pair of blue boots. His gloves, also blue in color, were wringing themselves together. His polo was closer to a cerulean, and you smiled at him.

The Sans lookalike was staring at you. You noted he wore a blue hoodie with yellow sleeves, and two yellow stripes around the rib area. The bottom of his drawstrings were white puff balls, and he had thick fluff that surrounded his hood. He wore a pair of black jeans with a tee shirt underneath it. You smiled shakily at him, as well.

Both only gave you worried looks.

“hold up, g,” the new Sans said, stepping further into the room. “why don't we get her all healed up first, then we'll start asking questions.”

G huffed, coming away from Stretch and moving around the others in front of you. He knelt down and took your hand in his, smiling. He didn't have on his jacket, but he wore a tan turtleneck today, paired with a pair of neatly pressed black jeans and his combat boots. You also noticed his useless suspenders were nowhere to be seen.

“hey, angel,” he spoke softly.

“Hi, G,” you said, your voice croaking a little.

“HERE!”

The tray Edge was carrying was placed on a table in front of you, and you could see that there was an assortment of little candies and such on there. There was a glass of water, ice cubes slowly melting. You blankly looked around you.

They were all gathered there for you, while the other three were driving home. You felt more tears brimming, sniffling as you buried your head into your hands and let out a small whimper, trying to fight back the sob. They were your family; they cared so much about your well being. Whether it was because you were their bondmate or because they genuinely gave a shit, you didn't even care right then. They were trying.

“MUFFIN! WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”

Blue's voice cut through the quiet and you looked up at him. Tears streaked down your face as you sniffled.

“I-I'm sorry,” you said, your voice cracking. “I didn't think...everything just...happened. And she...and my mom...”

“you must be y/n, then,” the new Sans said.

“OF COURSE SHE IS, GALAXY!” huffed the new Papyrus. He looked to you as he came into the room. “I'M SORRY, HUMAN. HE LOVES TO STATE THE OBVIOUS.”

You smiled. “It's alright.”

“do you wanna get changed, honey?”

You looked over at Stretch and you missed the way every expression seemed to crumble. You looked so blank, and your eyes so dull. But they all steeled themselves, ready to help you at a moment's notice.

They had felt your soul crack, but thought it might have been a mistake. When they felt it a second and third time, the four loud skeletons that lived in the house had dialed their brothers and demanded to know what was going on. They didn't get much in before they heard your mother shrieking in the background.

It took almost every skeleton and human there to hold back Mutt, Black and Edge.

You merely nodded. But no one went to get you. You instead were lifted in Mutt's hold as he shifted you so you were being carried bridal style. Black stepped with him, letting the others know they would return with you momentarily. You saw as he snagged a few pieces of candy from the tray and gently lifted the glass of water, following you and Mutt as the two of you left the room.

There was a lot of talking once you left, but you paid it no mind. Instead, you leaned further into Mutt, tucking your head under his mandible. You felt him softly purring and your lips lifted into a small smile. You took in the scent of hickory and barbecue. It was soothing after such a long few hours.

They helped you into your room and sat you on the bed. You watched as Black disappeared into your bathroom, but before you could question him, Mutt was already playing with the stuff in your hair. You leaned your head forward, letting him snag all of the bobby pins that were poking at your scalp.

“m'lord's gonna draw ya a bath, darlin',” Mutt said quietly behind you.

You could hear the bath water running and you were shaking your head. He grumbled a little, holding his hands to the side of your head and holding it in place before going back and picking out the pins. You were also kind of shocked he called you something other than “brat”. That was his go-to for you.

“We have guests–”

“who understand you need some time to gather yourself. m'lord an' i will stay with you for a bit. we won't be in there unless you want us to be, but until then, we'll be here. i'll be gettin' your new outfit ready.”

You wiped your eyes, effectively smearing your makeup. Christ riding a cricket, what did you do to deserve these guys?

You didn't say anything else as your hair cascaded back around your shoulders. It was stiff from the hairspray Sin and Pink used. And as Mutt was unzipping the dress you wore, Black came back into the room, hands behind his back. He came over to you wordlessly, holding out his hand.

“My Queen,” he murmured.

You stared at him, unsure of how to take that. They were acting odd, but you didn't say anything as you felt the dress fall from your shoulders and down your arms. It fell past your hands and stayed at your hips, where Mutt gave one more gentle tug and it pooled at your feet. But neither set of eye lights traveled further than your face.

You took Black's hand and let him lead you into the bathroom. He helped you remove your bra and turned away as you removed the rest of your clothes. Once you sank into the warm water, you pulled the curtain around a little, leaving enough space so at least your head showed.

“Stay with me?” you whispered.

Neither said anything as you plugged your nose and dunked under the water, making sure your hair got wet enough before you surfaced, sucking in a lungful of air. Black was sitting beside the tub, one leg thrown over the other as he watched you. His baby blue eyelights just watched you, and you thought they were quivering.

“I'm alright, Black,” you murmured. “Just a little shaken.”

He grunted, but said nothing as you reached for your body wash. Mutt came back in, leaning against the counter beside his brother and both watched as you shut the curtain the rest of the way, making quick work to wash yourself, and scrubbing a little harder at your face to get the makeup off. You dunked under again, using both hands to make sure all of the suds were off before surfacing.

You opened the curtain again, grabbing the shampoo. Both of the watched as you worked it through your hair and left it atop your head as you went under once more. Mutt chuckled and moved, coming over and kneeling next to the tub. You startled as he reached for the conditioner now in your hand.

“lemme help, darlin',” he said. “will that be alright, m'lord?”

“Of Course! Make It Quick!” Black said.

Mutt chuckled, shooting you a wink and pouring enough in his hand before setting the bottle aside and working the stuff into your hair. You closed your eyes, sighing through your nose as you felt his hands tugging and yanking on your hair. But it wasn't uncomfortable and he did one more time before you heard him shuffling away from you.

With one more dunk, you felt better. You came back up and sucked in another breath of air. Leaning over, you unplugged the bathtub and stood. You paused before you heard Black chuckle now. You heard the click of his boots as he came toward the tub and stuck his hand through the open part of the curtain. You took the towel from his hold, smiling a little as you wrapped it around yourself.

When you opened the curtain, both boys nodded. You looked much better. Hell, one look in the mirror and even you could tell you didn't look nearly as bad as you did when Stretch teleported you home. Tucking the towel into itself across your chest, you took the opportunity to wring out your hair, muttering curses about hair spray as you did.

“How Do You Feel, My Queen?”

You looked over at Black, who was watching you. You gave him a smile as you stepped out of the tub and onto the fluffy floor mat.

“Better,” you said softly. You rubbed at your sternum, frowning. “But my chest does hurt a little bit.”

“your soul cracked.”

You looked over at Mutt, who was holding out a piece of candy. You took it, glancing between the two before you popped it into your mouth. It almost instantly melted on your tongue. Little sparks and tingles of magic popped along your tongue as you felt something within you shift, as though it was mending.

“My soul...cracked?”

“INDEED. WHATEVER WAS SAID AT THAT DAMNABLE DINNER HURT YOU ENOUGH THAT YOUR HOPE WAS FAILING YOU.”

“Hope...” you murmured. “Someone really does need to explain that...”

“'nother time, darlin',” Mutt chuckled. “for now, let's getcha dressed and getcha downstairs. 'm sure the others are pretty anxious to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: I'm gonna make some angst.  
> Author: *writing*  
> Author: Oh, well, there goes my own heart.


	26. Thanksgiving With Your Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have Thanksgiving with your boys now!
> 
> ...too bad things happen later in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back!
> 
> Thanks for reading this far! SO!
> 
> Let's go through the usual stuff, right?
> 
> My Tumblr:  
> [This Flaming Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster & Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by littlexsiren
> 
> And, hey! littlexsiren and I have a new story _together_. So if you'd like to check that out?
> 
> Collab work:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363)
> 
>  **Introducing:**  
>  **Outertale Sans:** Galaxy  
>  **Outertale Papyrus:** Stars  
>  **Huntertale Sans:** Hunter
> 
> **Song in chapter:**   
>  _Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter_

When you made it downstairs, everyone was waiting for you. Even Sans, Red and Serif had made it home. You had a feeling they used their 'porting skills on the car, but you didn't say anything as they came and each wrapped you in hug.

You had eaten a couple more of the candies and drank a good portion of the water that Black had brought with him. You definitely felt better, if still a little sad. But you said nothing as you adjusted the sleeve of the jacket you wore.

Mutt had decided to go with comfortable, but cute. Your hair was half up, half down, and you wore no make up this time. He had given you a pair of jeans that flared out around the knee and a tee shirt that was a deep purple, pairing it with a forest green jacket that buttoned up to the halfway point. You had decided to go without shoes, letting your socked feet slide around on the hardwood ground.

You approached the new Sans and Papyrus, smiling a little sheepishly. “I'm sorry that my first impression was of me crying my eyes out over a little thing,” you chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck. “My name's, obviously, Y/n.”

“OH, IT'S ALRIGHT, HUMAN!” the Papyrus said, grinning wide. He stood tall, chest puffed proudly as he held a hand to it. “MY NAME IS STARS HERE! MY BROTHER IS NICKNAMED GALAXY.”

You laughed now. “Bold of you to assume I know your little secret, but you seem to know that I know.”

“classic told us of his fuck up,” Galaxy said, shrugging.

“LANGUAGE!”

The reprimand came from numerous sides and you laughed again. Your hand was grabbed again, spinning you around and you came face to face with G, who was grinning down at you cheekily. You only huffed, bopping the space above his nasal ridge.

“What's up?”

“need a smoke?”

You sighed dramatically, throwing your hand over your forehead and leaning back. His hold tightened as he laughed, shaking his head as you let out a distressed noise.

“Alas! I have quit that stars awful habit!” you said on a wispy sigh. You straightened suddenly, shrugging. “But after the shit I've gone through? Gimme.”

There was another chuckle as G called out for all the smokers that he was heading out with you. You were followed by Stretch, Red, Mutt, Dusty and Axe. Once the lot of you were outside, G handed you one of his and you popped the ball in the filter before Dusty snapped his fingers in front of you. Lavender smoke rose from the cherry and you smiled, watching it for a moment.

“how ya feelin', kitten?”

You looked at Red, smiling a little. “I'm alright. I'm not one hundred percent, but I'm gonna be better with a little time. Hopefully this means by Christmas, I won't have to worry about mom coming with dad to Christmas, or going there and seeing her and the boys.”

Stretch and Red both winced at the mention of your brothers. You waved them off as Axe, Dusty and G all tried to get you to speak about what happened. But you gave them vague answers, and while they all understood, they were growing frustrated. You sighed and shook your head, sitting in the chair that Red usually occupied.

“Look, you guys need to calm down. I'm fine, and that's all that matters, yeah?” you asked. Before they could answer, you piped up again, “Where are the human versions?”

“they went out to go see if hunter actually showed up,” Dusty said, taking a deep inhale of his own cigarette. “i don't think he did; dude usually only makes an appearance in the winter.”

You scrunched your nose. “So he plays hide and go seek in the woods until someone can find him?”

Stretch shrugged as Axe nodded. The others just rolled their eyelights and huffed out breaths, their eyelights looking toward the woods that surrounded the house. You watched as the lavender smoke rose lazily into the air, thoroughly in love with the color, even if the smoke and chemicals in this small cylindrical thing could kill you.

Rustles sounded off to the left and you turned your head right as Guy and Paps came back through the woods, ridding their hair of leaves and debris of the woods. Not even two seconds later, Tiny came bounding through with Rus on his heels and Buddy and Chief right after them. You gave them small waves as the nonsmokers headed inside. The others stayed outside, huddling into the warmth of their coats.

“so what's the verdict?” Mutt asked, blowing out his violet flume of smoke from his dog treat. “'s the recluse here?”

“looks like,” Buddy said, his body wracked with a shiver. “must've gotten curious 'bout sweetheart over here.”

You took another inhale before you spoke. “So I'm a spectacle now?” you asked, tilting your head.

“nah,” Guy mutter, shaking his head as he dug through his pockets for a lighter. “more like you're a curiosity for him. dude's a hunter; it's not just his name.”

“Wonder if I could find him.”

You said the words before thinking them through. Every single gaze was on you and you looked at all of them, shrugging before taking one last hit of your smoke and stubbing it out in the ashtray. You brushed your fingers across your jeans for a moment before standing.

“Dad and I used to go hunting a lot,” you said. “Papaw taught me as well, and I spent a lot of falls and winters with them.”

“not spring or summer?”

“Hm, not always,” you hummed. “It was mostly fall and winter. Easier to track and keep an ear out. Snow actually traps sounds, which makes it easier when something _does_ make a sound.”

Axe nodded knowingly and the others didn't pay him much mind, but you did notice the shudder they all seemed to share. He only grinned around him as he stubbed his own cigarette out, turning to face you.

“wanna try findin' him?”

You blinked before you chuckled. “Let me grab a jacket bef – _oof_!”

A jacket was already on top of your head. You moved the material from your head, glowering as G shot you a wink, giving you a pat on the shoulder as he and a couple of the others made their way past you. Mutt stayed behind, chewing on the charred remains of his dog treat before straightening, hands in his pockets. He and Axe walked down the stairs, turning to look at you.

Well, alright. Looks like Mutt was joining in on the fun. You chuckled, going down the steps as you stuck your hands in G's pockets. It was a little longer on you than you had thought it would be, and sleeves were toasty warm as you snuggled into the warm fur of the hood. The smell of pineapples and leather wrapped around you like a gentle caress.

Yeah, you might have to steal this.

The three of you made your way into the woods and it was like someone flipped a switch. You slowly watched as Mutt hunched a little lower, his hands coming from his pockets as he traced his claws on trees, leaving little nicks in the wood. Axe's single eyelight was flitting around, his back straight as he he scoured the woods.

The three of you avoided patches of leaves and twigs like they would give you Ebola. You searched the ground for any kind of telltale signs of someone being around. You paid attention to the little details. Were there things kicked over? A scuffle of some kind?

A bird sounded off not too far from where you were and all three of you froze, Mutt's low growl filling the air. You looked in the direction the call had come from. It sounded again, and you narrowed your eyes. Birds don't usually call out like that, or not that often. The pitch was wrong, and it came right after the first caw. You looked at the boys next to you, nodding toward the direction. Both of them nodded and followed as you stepped around a bush, avoiding a patch of leaves.

You don't know how long you walked, but you made sure to avoid the smaller things. The closer you got to the source of the sound, you noticed boot prints in the dirt. The leaves had been moved around in a lazy circle and you smiled a little to yourself. You looked around, picking up a decently sized branch. Neither of the boys asked questions as you turned to head north once more, glancing around you.

Mutt looked like he was about to crawl on all fours. His eyelights had shrunk in his skull, no more than the size of quarters. Those lights in his skull scoured the floor of the forest, or looked up toward the tops of the trees. Axe looked like he was trying to grip something in his hand; maybe an axe? You weren't sure, but his skull was tilted as the three of you walked, single red orb looking around the forest sharply.

_Snap!_

The single sound was loud behind you and you whirled around, bringing the branch up right as you came face to face with the tip of an arrow.

There was a silent stare down for a long moment before the arrow slowly lowered. You noticed first that this skeleton, the final of the group you had yet to meet, definitely didn't have the normal eyelights you were used to. You should have remembered that from the folder, but so much had gone on today alone, you weren't shocked you forgot.

One eyelight was white, but the other was a teal crosshair, which was watching you warily as he shuffled his booted feet. He was wearing snow camouflage, much like his picture. But this looked a little more human made. There was still fur on the hood of his jacket, and there was a quiver on his back. He slowly moved the arrow notched from the bow back to the quiver as Mutt slowly rose, keeping his eyelights on the newcomer.

No one said anything as the other two seemed to close in on you. You stared up at Hunter, tilting your head a little before you gave him a soft smile.

“Coming?” you asked, before turning on your heel and heading back in the direction you came.

You were happy Mutt had half a mind to at least mark the way back. You didn't even look back to see if Hunter was following you. Axe slid up to walk beside you.

“ya really feelin' alright, sparrow?” he asked quietly.

“I am,” you said back, grinning over at him.

He took your hand in his, his thumb rubbing against your knuckles soothingly as the four of you left the woods. You made your way up to the house, throwing open the doors and heading into the dining room. Axe was chuckling beside you as he gave your knuckles one last rub over before letting go and heading into the kitchen. Probably to hunt for some ketchup.

You smiled as Mutt and Hunter made their way into the room next. Black glared at Mutt, who only shrugged and leaned on you. You grunted under the weight.

“Christ, seriously,” you groaned. “You're literally nothing but bones. How the fuck do you weigh so much?”

“dunno,” came his simple reply.

You let out another, louder grunt as Stretch leaned next to him, his elbow on your head right next to Mutt's. You glared straight ahead as the two chuckled above you, the sounds of bone slapping in the air as they high fived. You grumbled to yourself, waving your hands at them. They got off, but not before bending down and each giving you a kiss on your cheeks at the same time.

Your face erupted into red as you snapped at them, both of them laughing and dodging your hits. The entire dining room was filled with chuckles as the lazier of the skeletons and humans gathered around and sat around the table.

All except Hunter. He stayed by the doorway to the kitchen, his eyelights roving over the area. His gaze settled on you, and you raised a brow at him. You didn't know if he was going to come over or not, but you wished he would. This was your first chance to meet him, and you really did want to try and get to know him. You had a feeling that though he was a bondmate, he might not be around much.

He finally made his way over to the group. No one seemed to mind his presence and you noticed that a few of the skeleton greeted him. You looked up at him, smiling a little.

“So you're Hunter, then,” you said it more as a statement, musing your thoughts aloud as he stood next to you.

“and you must y/n,” came his soft rebuttal.

Wow, holy crap. His voice was smooth as silk and you had to fight off the urge to shiver. His voice was deep, but carried. It was smooth and sent chills over your skin. You only kept your smile on as you regarded him, head tilting a little bit.

“y/n?”

You turned to see Sans standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyelight flicking between you and Hunter. You heard the latter scoff, could almost feel him rolling his own lights around in his skull. You only chuckled, turning to give a wink to Hunter before sauntering over to Sans.

Hunter watched you go, his head tilted a little as he noted a few things. Your steps were light, probably why he didn't hear you at first. Usually humans had heavy footsteps, never keen on trying to keep themselves hidden. The only exceptions he'd met other than you were those human variants of the original alpha timelines.

He also noted the way your hips swayed when you walked. He didn't know if you did it on purpose or not, but it was _definitely_ attractive as you and Sans walked away into the depths of the kitchen. That, and you had a wonderful ass. He just wanted to grab a handful.

But then again, that's why he pulled out his bow earlier.

He looked around the others, watching as a couple had silent conversations. From the sound of it, there had been an issue with your family earlier, causing you and four of the others of the household to come home early. He felt his brow bone furrow as he tried to piece some things together, but it was obvious they weren't giving the full story.

He wasn't sure what to make of it, this lack of information. Maybe he could get more out of you when you were more comfortable with him? He knew he'd have to make more of an appearance now; he had only thought the others were pulling his leg when they said it was like an incessant tugging in his chest around her. He could feel the pull of being a bondmate, and it made him bristle a little.

There were very few things he wasn't in control of. He would be damned if this would be one of them.

He heard your laugh as he went to go talk to a group of his “cousins”. He turned his head slightly as he watched you leaning over the island toward the left of the kitchen, head in your arms as Papyrus raged at Classic for making a horrible pun. A sense of longing filled his rib cage, shook his very soul, at seeing them interact.

He really did miss his Papyrus.

You looked over to see Hunter staring at you, and gave a small wave. He seemed to collect himself before smirking a little and sending you a wink. You let out the tiniest squeak you'd uttered before chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of your neck. He only chuckled before turning to talk and probably catch up with a few of the lazier lookalikes.

Speaking of lazy...

You turned to Sans, glaring down at him playfully with a brow risen. “So. You're telling me you have no motivation to make a pie?”

“sounds right.”

“You are the laziest asshole on the goddamn planet,” you finalized after a moment, nodding your head.

You heard Edge and Black scoff, chuckling to themselves as they finished with the potatoes. The more exuberant brothers had been awake since before dawn, you knew, getting ready to feed everyone. There were two turkeys and a ham. You were sure there were at least three pots of potatoes and gravy somewhere. Corn, green bean casserole, rolls. There was an assortment, like the one at home.

But you knew this one was made by them. For their family. It wasn't made by servants or help from other people. It was made by family, for family. You smiled a little as you watched them all moving around and prepping the rest of the food as Chief carefully removed one of the turkeys from the oven.

It was a wonderful sight to see, and you watched as Blue and Tiny worked with pie crusts and fillings. You noticed there were at least a dozen of them and you felt yourself give a little laugh.

“There really are a lot of them,” you murmured.

“don't worry, fairy, you're the _apple of my pie_ ,” you heard Rus rumble beside you.

You let out an unladylike snort, nudging him in the stomach as you laughed. You failed to notice the way the others watched as your face lit up. They were still worried. They had felt the cracks in your soul, and had felt the despair. It was a strange thing, since none of them were your soulmates yet. But they knew what they felt, and all of them were keeping a close eye on you.

You moved out of the kitchen once Paps got on everyone's case. Since you weren't help (not for lack of trying, at least), you went back into the dining room. But you kept going and moved into the living room, where a good portion of the boys followed you. Red and Serif passed you a controller and the three of you watched as the loading screen for zombies loaded up.

You were situated on the couch for a good portion of it, until the tougher rounds started, and you were pulled into a lap. The smell of hickory surrounded you and you smiled a little as your eyes followed the screen you were playing on. You grumbled to yourself, narrowing your eyes as you shot down a train of the undead coming for you.

“ah, fer fuck's sake, ballerina! get'cher shit t'gether!” Red snarled.

“oh, i'm _so sorry_ , your highness,” came Serif's drawled retort. “i didn't know that them sneaking up on me was _my fault_!”

“Could ya both just stop bickering!” you grunted as you went to pick up Serif. “Just point and shoot.”

They did, and you watched as the numbers for the levels rose. But right as you were about to hit seventy, the TV screen blacked out. You let out an indignant squawk, your eyes turning to see Chief and Edge next to each other, one holding the cord to the TV, and the other to the game console.

“Oh, bloody hell, you two!” you snapped. “You couldn't have just called that dinner was done?”

“they did,” Mutt said behind you, playing with your hair. “three times, in fact.”

“Oh.”

You felt yourself flush as the others snickered. You got up from Mutt's lap, heading over to the entertainment stand to put the controller away and walking toward the dining room. Once in there, the others looked at you. The sight warmed your heart, and you felt a familiar thump in your chest as you took in the grins and smiles of the boys surrounding you. Even Dusty and Axe were grinning, and they were _actual_ smiles, not their usual manic ones.

Everyone was here. And they all cared about you. Granted, Galaxy, Stars and Hunter didn't know you very well, but from the looks on their faces, you could see they felt the same way the others did. They cared, even if they didn't know you like the others did. It only made you more determined to know who they were, and to learn as much as you could about them before they left.

You watched as the boys went to take their seats beside their brothers, and you noticed the only other chair was at the head of the table. Your eyes moved around the table before Sans chuckled, your eyes flicking to him before he got up, pulling out the chair and rose a brow bone.

“the lady of the house gets the head,” he said, making some weird grand gesture for the chair. “have a seat, princess.”

You went over and sat, squeaking quietly when he pushed it back in. When he took his seat again, he cleared his throat until every gaze was on him. He only grinned and you now noticed how the table was laden with all sorts of foods. All the turkeys and hams, the containers of deviled eggs and veggies, and even some mashed potatoes with gravy. Your mouth watered and you felt a smile of your own grace your face.

“before we eat, i just want you guys to know that y/n is just fine,” Sans said, his eyes moving over to look at everyone who hadn't been at your parent's house. You winced, but he continued, “give her some space, and some time. If she shares everything with you, then so be it. but until then, please don't pester her about it.”

There were a few grumbles of displeasure about the subject, but you only smiled and mouthed a quick “thank you” to Sans. He only winked and the food was then divvied up. You got a lot of it, despite the protesting you did that you had already eaten some food with your parents. The boys all snorted, pointing their silverware at your plate before digging into their own food.

While you ate, you looked around to see the boys all talking and laughing. Some of them were catching up with each other and you could only smile to yourself as you stuffed your face full of mashed potatoes. God, if you could marry mashed potatoes, you really would. Christ, they were so freaking great.

After a few minutes of imagining your wedding with mashed potatoes and having gravy as the side ho, you looked up and glanced at Hunter.

“So where _do_ you live?” you asked before taking a bit of your ham.

He glanced at you, the cross hair eyelight moving slightly before he chuckled. “mountain. ski resort in a city a few hours from here. i prefer the snow, so being there is nice.”

You raised a brow. “You live in a ski resort?”

He nodded. “that's right. i can actually use my magic for snow year round, but only on the mountain top. they get business, i get a home.”

You hummed. “That's pretty cool actually. Mind if I come by sometime?” you asked, shoveling a roll into your mouth so you couldn't take your words back.

He blinked slowly, as though trying to process your words. In fact, you noticed there were a few of the boys that stopped talking to look at you. You ignored them as you watched the gears in Hunter's head spin, turning this way and that before a grin tugged at the corners of his teeth.

“that should be fine, y/n,” he said, nodding a little. “it's a nice place; i think you'd like it.”

You grinned and clapped a little while you looked over to Galaxy and Stars. They were watching you with easy smiles on their faces and you felt your face heating up. Chuckling and rubbing the back of your neck, you turned your questions to them.

“What about you guys?”

Galaxy open his teeth to speak, but Stars beat him to it.

“WE LIVE NEXT TO A SPACE PLACE!” he said excitedly. “SINCE MY BROTHER AND I ARE FROM SPACE, THEY EMPLOY HIM TO HELP WITH A LOT OF THE SCIENCE THAT GOES BEHIND THEIR EXPLORATIONS.”

You paused, your own brain going into overdrive as you took in what the boys were saying. They worked, but you knew Sans did help them on occasion. You could hear chuckles all around the table as you looked at all of the boys.

“Do you guys all work?” you asked.

Chief nodded. “We Do Not Wish To Be Indebted To Sans Here, So We Have All Taken Up Our Own Jobs In Different Fields.”

“for the most part, anyway,” Stretch chuckled.

“for example,” Guy said, pointing to the older brother figures, plus Mutt, Rus and Stretch, “we all have one collective job together as scientists. not to mention, other odd jobs that pay us. the others,” he motioned toward the younger brothers, Blue, Tiny and Black, “are mostly on the police forces or some such case.”

“That's actually pretty cool,” you hummed.

“edge's the only one without a police job, as far as i'm aware,” Galaxy said, pointing his fork at said skeleton.

Edge nodded, stabbing some green beans on his plate. “CORRECT. I AM ACTUALLY A CHEF AT A HIGH END RESTAURANT.”

“Really?” you asked, leaning forward. “That's cool! Where at?”

When he told you the name, you thanked the stars above you weren't eating. That place was known for it's good cuisine, and was known for being as high end as could be. Just a plate of food could cost you an arm and half a leg. Guess you could see why it was so good now.

You were just lucky that Papyrus taught him that vinegar doesn't go in lasagna, and that the bottle of glass doesn't go in there, either.

“Our Brothers Also Have Ph. D's In A Bunch Of Different Areas, As Well!” Tiny said, grinning proudly at his brother. “Though They May Be Lazy, They Are Incredibly Intelligent!”

“awh, shucks, bro. thanks.”

Tiny only grinned wider and you chuckled. Now you were curious. You peeked over at Sans, who only grinned at you before shoving a piece of turkey in his mouth. You glanced around the table at the brothers Tiny mentioned and each only sent you winks or chuckles and grins. You pouted now.

You'd get it out of them somehow.

“Is that where you guys always disappear to?” you asked. “I always noticed the house tended to get pretty quiet some days.”

“THAT'S RIGHT!” Tango said, nodding. “YOU ALREADY KNEW ABOUT MY BROTHER AND I. I'M SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE OTHERS!”

“she's been a bit busy, tango,” Mutt chuckled.

“I HAD HOPED MY PET WOULD AT SOME POINT GRACE ME WITH QUESTIONS THAT WOULD LEAD HER TO LIKE ME MORE,” Black said, cutting into a piece of ham.

“Well, I do owe you that date, or whatever you wanna call it,” you reminded him. “Maybe we could do it next week?”

“OF COURSE! WHATEVER DAY YOU WOULD LIKE!”

You smiled and nodded. “I'll have to talk it over with Muffet, but I'm sure sometime next week would be fine.”

“WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE SPIDER?” Edge asked gruffly, glaring a little.

You only smiled at him. “She gave me a job, since Sin and Pink told her about the one I lost thanks to my mother.”

“Your Mother Made You Lost Your Job?” Paps asked, scowling a little. “That's Not Very Nice.”

“her mother isn't fuckin' nice, either,” you heard Red grumble.

You laughed a little. “It's alright. She gave me the job at her boutique. I have to be there Monday morning.”

“that's great, sparrow,” Axe said, nodding. “glad to see someone is helpin' ya out.”

“...i'd have to agree with that,” Dusty murmured before tearing into a roll. “now ya can get back on your feet, right, lilac?”

You nodded absently. “I should be able to now. She seems like a good boss, plus maybe I'll get free food.”

Sans snorted and Red chuckled. “you can hope for that,” Sans said. “muffet is greedy.”

“'cept for mine,” Mutt said, shrugging. “she let me have my tab.”

“mine did, too,” Stretch agreed.

“Would You Like Someone To Take You There?” Pink asked, holding a glass of water in his hand. “I Wouldn't Mind Sending Sans Here To Pick You Up.”

“can't monday, bro. workin' with classic over there that day.”

“I really wouldn't mind the walk,” you said. “I love walking anyway. It isn't too far.”

“it's a lot farther than you think it is, cutie,” Sin said, glancing at you. “plus it's cold outside, 'specially for you humans.”

“THE BOUTIQUE IS PRETTY FAR,” Papyrus agreed. “AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE ACCOMPANY YOU ON YOUR WAY THERE AND ON YOUR WAY BACK.”

“it'll put everyone's mind at ease,” G added before you could say anything.

You sighed. “Alright, fine.”

Buddy chuckled, leaning back in his chair and pushing his plate away from him. “'s awright, sweetheart. everyone jus' gets worried.”

You understood. You really did. You just didn't want to get suffocated by everyone. Plus, there were a few of them were pretty nervous about being around humans. You glanced at Dusty before your eyes landed on Axe and Crooks, who were now going for their fifth plate.

You conceded, though. You knew they were just wanting to look out for you. You should have seen it coming, though.

The rest of dinner was spent laughing and talking with the others. None of the smart boys wanted to tell you about their Ph. D's, and it's was driving you nuts. You were just so _curious_. Maybe if you snuck into Sans's office, you could see something.

The louder boys, though, enjoyed telling you about their jobs and what they did in the police forces. Edge seemed content with just stating he was a chef, but maybe you could get something out of him? He was definitely...harder to crack, than the others. Him and Black both. But Tiny and Blueberry excitedly shared stories, and Papyrus and Paps were just so enthusiastic.

You looked up and caught Crooks's expression. The look of hurt that crossed his features had your heart breaking a little, and you rubbed your sternum. It didn't go unnoticed by Sans, who leaned over and whispered to you.

“you alright, princess?” he asked.

“Yeah. Just...Crooks looks so sad,” you murmured.

Sans was silent for a moment his eyelights flicking to his brother's duplicate before looking back at you. He blew a breath through his nasal cavity before speaking.

“i'll...talk to axe about lettin' him get a job, yeah?”

You beamed at him, and Sans knew the fight that would ensue with his violent lookalike would be worth it. That look made everything right in the world, even as you stuffed it full of mashed potatoes again.

“OH, OH! MUFFIN!”

You turned to see Blueberry practically bouncing in his seat as he looked at you. Large, cyan stars were in his eye sockets and you braced yourself for the question. If you had to say no to him, you were going hear your own heart snap in two.

“What's up, Blue?” you asked.

“CAN WE...Can We Do A Giant Fort Tonight?”

The others that lived in the house nodded and joined in on asking. You groaned, laughing a little as even Edge grumped out a “I SUPPOSE I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN AGAIN”. The others around you tilted their heads curiously as they looked at the house members. With a sigh, you explained what they were talking about.

As soon as you stopped talking, they all joined in on asking if they could be part of it. You laughed as Crooks almost shot out of his seat, ready to come over and literally beg on his knees if he could join in. You held up your hands, unable to contain your laughter as you nodded, trying to get them all to quiet down.

Once they all settled, you wheezed, “Alright, alright! We'll do a fort, and _everyone_ will join in.”

The pure joy on the faces of most of them made your soul flutter in your chest. You stood from your chair, helping to gather dishes and ready to put leftovers away. You balanced plates and silverware in one hand while gathering a couple of cups to take with you. The others were helping, even the lazier ones. They were gathering their own things and heading into the kitchen. You followed them with your mountain of plates and silverware, humming to yourself as you placed them gently on the counter.

When you went to start doing the dishes, you were hip checked away by Chief, who didn't give you a glance when you glared up him. You went to nudge him out of the way, grunting when you couldn't make him budge. Seriously, were they all this strong!? This was completely aggravating!

You let out a small whine and he sighed, looking down at you while he waited for the water to change temperature.

“Let me help!” you whined. “Don't make me whip your ass!”

He leaned down to you, his ruby eyes locking onto your own gaze as his hair fell into his face. You swallowed back the small squeak you were about to utter as he gave you a smirk, tilting his head a little to the side.

_Jesus fucking Christ, he's hot._

“Is That A Promise?” he asked softly, his eyes glinting as he spoke.

“I-I...uh...”

He only chuckled as he leaned in just a tad closer. You let out a little yelp when his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close to him. Your face must have been as red as his eyes his teeth bit down on the lobe of your ear.

“I'll Hold You To It, Flame,” he murmured before he let you go, stepping away and turning back to the dishes.

You were left a stuttering mess as you just tried to figure out what the hell had happened. You weren't entirely sure, so you only turned away, squeaking out something about helping the lazier of the brothers.

When you got into the living room, you were bombarded with questions about why you were so red. No, you weren't sick. Yes, you were fine. No, you didn't get hurt. You just waved all their questions away, instead, instructing everyone where to put the furniture and what they needed to grab.

Blankets, sheets, pillows. It was like the first night you were here, and you couldn't help but reflect on how far you had come since that day.

Back then, you had no idea just how spot on you had been. How they all looked similar, and how some of them even acted the same. You were so unsure about why you felt so attached. You had been scared that you were going to do something wrong.

Now? You were happy. You had been told you had twenty-five bondmates, sure. But you were also excited that you got to learn that you had been right. And now you got to learn about all of their histories without having to worry about them lying to you. It was the greatest feeling.

You almost wanted to call Morgan, but you shook your head. He might be with the other boys, or even at his own family's. You didn't want to disturb him.

Or so you thought.

You checked your phone when you heard it go off, telling Hunter to help Axe get the sheet they were hanging up a little more taut before nailing it in. The lazier skeletons were using their magic, go figure, but they were all helping and putting in the effort to make this fort bigger than the last. And maybe even better.

Well, of course it would be better. Now you had _all_ of your bondmates with you.

You unlocked your phone, your brows rising as you clicked on the text Morgan sent you.

**M-Dawg:** you available? I'm tired of my family.

You frowned. You knew Morgan wasn't on good terms with either of his parents. They hated his guitar and hated his singing. They told him he was wasting his life away even though he was going to college for something that even you couldn't comprehend. You heard him talking to his parents a few times and all you had heard was them degrading his voice and his music. You had blown up on them and they didn't like you being around their son.

You didn't give a fuck.

“somethin' wrong, sparrow?”

You jumped, heart in your throat as you turned to face Axe. He was staring down at you, his eyelight trained on your phone. It flicked up to you, his head tilted curiously. You took a steadying breath before nodding.

“Yeah, sorry. Morgan messaged me.”

“isn't that one of th' guys ya sing with at the bar?” he asked, scratching just under the hole in his skull.

“Yeah, that's him. Guess he's not having a good holiday.” _Can totally relate to that._

“ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MORGAN!?”

Blue's voice broke you from glancing at your phone and now all eyes were on you. You noddedN to the little ball of energy before he bounced on his feet, almost like he was becoming a vibrator.

“CAN HE JOIN US LIKE LAST TIME! I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN SO LONG!”

The ones who didn't know Morgan cast questioning glances at the lazy ones. They all gave small nods, while you smiled and texted Morgan back that he should come to the house. He sent back a quick “thank fuckin' god” before saying he'd be there in two hours.

You set your phone back down and went back to helping the boys build the fort. Now, with the louder skeletons and humans helping, you were chuckling as you were lifted in the air by a few of them. Crooks had done it first, happy to keep you on his shoulders as you nailed in a few of the sheets and such.

You caught the look of Chief every now and then, and turned into a raging, blushing mess when he winked over at you. You turned away to breathe properly when you heard Buddy ask his brother what happened. You guessed by Buddy's laughter, he enjoyed the thought of his younger brother ruffling your feathers.

By the hour and a half mark, everything was almost set up. You went around, marking sure you could fit everyone in the fort. Once the others were caught up on who Morgan was, it became a silent war of who got to sleep next to you. You only groaned, pulling at your hair and telling them they can fight it out.

You had to struggle to get the more edgier of the group to literally _not_ do that.

By the time you were done with the fort, you were ready for a nap. You took a step back and studied it with a pleased eye. There were sheets nailed to the wall above the room. They weren't quite by the ceiling; there was still a good distance from it, at least. But it was tall enough for the larger boys, so if they wanted to stand upright they could. Blankets padded the floor and it was surrounded by pillows and more blankets.

You were pleased with it as you watched some of the other boys head outside. You followed them, slipping under Axe's arm. He adjusted as he walked, wrapping his own arm around your waist as the smoker's went outside.

Right as you made it out the door, you saw headlights moving up the driveway. You even heard Morgan's music as he came to a halt right next to a patch of grass, careful not to touch the flowers and stuff that Blue and the others worked hard on. You smiled as he got out of the car, turning it off and slamming the door closed. His guitar was on his back as he strolled up the porch, hands in his pockets.

He looked worn to hell. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was pointing in all sorts of different directions. You smiled sadly as you left Axe's hold and went over to your human companion, holding your arms open. He swept you into a hug.

“Hey, birdie,” he sighed. “Thanks for lettin' me come by. I know you were spendin' time with your boys.”

“It's alright,” you said softy. “Blue asked if you could come tonight when he realized I was texting you.”

“Heh, gonna have to see little dude here in a moment. But first...” His gaze flicked to the ones around you. “Mind introducing me? Haven't met a few of you.”

“i'll say,” Stretch said, holding out his hand. “good to see ya.”

“Likewise. Where's Mutt?”

“behind you.”

“You're not scary, bro. But good try.”

They chuckled as they fist bumped. Red and him high fived. With each interaction, you could see the ones who didn't know Morgan slowly let the tension fade from their shoulders. You smiled at them before you went and pointed to each one as you introduced them. You also let them know how he knew they were all variants of Sans and Papyrus. While a few of them didn't like that, the others just seemed a little relieved.

G gave you a cigarette, and you popped the ball on it before Red flicked his fingers in front of it. The smell of mint filled the air as the taste of cherries settled on your tongue. You smiled as you blew red smoke into the air.

Morgan chuckled. “Now that's a neat trick.”

The two bickered back and forth and you watched, mildly amused. The other boys began jumping in on it and a few of you were laughing as you finished up the smoking, stubbing them out and heading back inside as a group. You shivered as the cool air was left behind you and you were back inside.

“hey, bro. morgan's here.”

Blueberry ran from the living room and practically threw himself on Morgan. The male human laughed, rubbing the skeleton's skull as he began talking excitedly and exclaiming how he was happy his human friend could be there. He was led into the living room, which he paused in the doorway with a loud cackle and snort, turning to you.

“Really?”

“Can't say no to Blue's stars, man,” you said, shrugging.

You all ducked under the flaps that made the doorway of the tent, Papyrus and Blue, plus Paps and Tiny and a couple of the others, had been busy. There were drinks and food everywhere. You looked over at Sans, who shrugged.

“we went out to grab some stuff since there's so many of us,” he said. “plus, we weren't stocked up on the choice of drink for hunter or galaxy, or g.”

G drank a condiment? Weird, you had never seen him do so thus far. You glanced around and watched with growing horror as Galaxy tipped back a bottle of vinegar. You gagged, which earned you a few laughs a couple of chuckles as he winked at you. Who the hell could stand doing that? Did skeletons really not have _any_ taste buds!?

G popped the cap on a brand of hot sauce, throwing it back like it was vodka. You winced and looked away, only to see Hunter raise a bottle of sweet and sour sauce, grinning as he threw that back himself. You threw your hands up in the air as everyone gathered around.

“so who's the new human?” Galaxy asked.

“This is Morgan,” you said, motioning to him as he took a seat beside you. “He's been a buddy of mine for a bit now. I sing with him on the weekends.”

“SHE HAS A FANTATIC VOICE!” Crooks said excitedly. “ONE OF MY FAVORITE VOICES!”

Dusty simply nodded, lounging against a mound of pillows a bit away from everyone. “...she's got a lot of energy to her, too,” he commented. “loves dancin' around on that stage. don'tcha, lilac?”

You chuckled as you rubbed the back of your neck. “Yeah, well...”

“Gotta say, you really did shock me bringing Mouse up there,” he said, moving his guitar from his back and around to his front. You smiled. “I thought she was just there for emotional support.”

“Pfft, sure. Like my own emotional support Mouse.”

The two of you laughed as the others curiously tilted their heads. You looked around and saw the questioning looks, directed at you. You sighed, smiling and looking at Morgan, who only nodded.

This really was turning into something like the first fort you shared with the boys.

Morgan strummed the chords for a moment, finding the correct tune before you smiled and sighed, wetting your lips before you opened your mouth.

“ _Remember when you said that there's no second chance?  
Oh baby, I heard you been hoping you could change the past  
You miss the longer nights, you miss the long goodbyes,  
You miss the longer nights  
_ _ **(Morgan)** (Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep)  
_

“ _Well did you ever think that it was hard for me?  
Do I get off like nothing happened, nonchalantly?  
I got you feeling like, I got you feeling right  
I got you feeling like  
_ _ **(Morgan)** (Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep) _

“ _That's my shape, I made the shadow  
That's my lane, don't wear it out though  
Feeling myself can't be illegal, illegal _

“ _So sue me for looking so pretty tonight  
Wearing your favorite color under the lights  
For moving on, doing everything right  
So sue me for being good friends with your friends  
And running into you at the place that we met  
For being something you can't forget  
So sue me.”_

You let your voice rise, keeping your hand to your chest as you used the other to tap out the beat. You saw the boys had gone silent and all gazes were on you. There were some of contentment, some of wonder. Dusty seemed the most as ease, his eye sockets closed as he tapped his foot in time with your hand.

“ _It's hard to see me on when you've been off as hell  
But I'm not gonna throw myself because you adore yourself  
I know it's hard to see what you don't want to see,  
I know it's hard to see  
(_ _ **Morgan)** (Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep) _

“ _That's my shape, I made the shadow  
That's my lane, don't wear it out though  
Feeling myself can't be illegal, illegal _

“ _So sue me for looking so pretty tonight  
Wearing your favorite color under the lights  
For moving on, doing everything right  
So sue me for being good friends with your friends  
And running into you at the place that we met  
For being something you can't forget  
So sue me.”_

You always felt so happy while you sang. Even if you weren't dancing around and making a fool of yourself. Even if you weren't sidled up next to Morgan, Isaiah or Terrence. You were always in your element when you were singing, or even helping out an animal. But when you were doing both? You were in heaven.

“ _Oh, I, I, I guess I'm hard to ignore  
Pick up that jaw off the floor _

“ _So sue me for looking so pretty tonight  
Wearing your favorite color under the lights  
For moving on, doing everything right  
So sue me for being good friends with your friends  
And running into you at the place that we met  
For being something you can't forget  
So sue me _

“ _Sue me, baby.”_

You were beaming as the song ended, your back straight as your hand fell into your lap. There was applause from all of your boys that had you blushing and giggling like a school girl. You covered your face and shook your head as they began raining praise on you. Morgan chuckled, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you up against his side.

The rest of the night was spent somewhat like that. You would take turns playing games with boys, and you would be pulled into a little song by Morgan who wanted to hear how harmonies sounded, or hear how wording went with the music. You would go right back to your games. Mutt and Hunter both seemed content to hold you while you played, the latter taking after the former after he realized he was intrigued by how you responded to the former's touch.

You were content with it though, and soon enough, the more hyperactive of the skeletons and humans began to slowly fall into a slumber. You smiled as you and Rus tucked a blanket around Tiny's shoulders before going over and helping Stretch with Blue. Red only shook his head as he and Sin went head to head on a game.

“'s only midnight!” he said, his eyelights flitting between the two for a moment before going back to the screen and snarling. “fuckin' cheat! i wasn' payin' attention!”

“that's your own fault, dude.”

You chuckled. “They've had an...exciting day,” you said thoughtfully, running a hand over Blue's skull. “I think it's fine. They stayed up a few hours after they usually go to bed anyway.”

“SHE HAS A POINT,” Edge said, nodding. He handed Sans a blanket to cover Papyrus with as Guy drug his brother to a more comfortable spot to sleep in. “WE'RE ALL USUALLY IN BED NO LATER THAN NINE AT NIGHT.”

“What time do you even get up?” Morgan asked.

“Usually About Five Or Six In The Morning. Four If We Really Feel Up To Exercising A Lot,” Chief said, moving to help Guy.

Once they were all tucked in, you curled against Mutt's side, yawning loudly. You heard a few of them talking over you, murmuring quietly as Mutt adjusted you so you were laying on his femurs. There was a pillow placed under your head for comfort and you saw Edge come over, bringing a blanket and moving to settle it over you.

“get some sleep, brat,” you heard Mutt murmur. “we'll be right here when you wake up.”

And you did, letting the darkness claim you as you curled into Mutt's warmth.

Everyone was silent until they were sure you were asleep. When they all let out a breath, Morgan moved the strap of his guitar over his head, setting it on the couch that was in the fort and turning an icy glare to Sans. All of them were thrown for a loop, but no one felt any ill intent from the human. Just mild irritation.

“What exactly are you doing bringing more of you here?” Morgan silently seethed. “Are you crazy? She's already overloaded with so many of you!”

“morgan, please,” Stretch said softly. “we're trying to send all of us home, but it's taking a bit longer–”

“It's Been Years,” Chief snapped. “I May Not Have Been Here As Long As Some Of The Others, But Even For My Brother And I, It Has Been Quite A While.”

Edge seemed to share the notion and both Red and Sin paused their game to turn and look at the commotion. Dusty peeked an eye open, glancing at the scene in front of him. Hunter was looking over as well, the single cross hair staring at Morgan intensely.

Morgan was outnumbered, but Sans knew he wouldn't try to do anything. He knew how much you cared for them, and he was banking on that so nothing bad would happen. But he didn't think Morgan had it in him to harm any of them.

“chief has a point,” Sin said, glancing over to his original counterpart. “some of us have been here for at least three or four years at this point, classic. and every time g fixes it, so we can go home, you end up switching all this shit around. we know why you want to, but you need to correct the multiverse mayhem you've caused before you can do anything else!”

Hunter straightened, grabbing his bottle of sweet and sour. “they're right, dude. i can't keep staying here like this. it's only been a handful of months for me here, but i already can't stand it.”

Morgan turned to Sans, sighing as he rubbed a hand over his face. “Look, dude. I like you. You're a cool bro and you make Y/n happy. Plus, your duplicates and your brother's duplicates are pretty freakin' sweet, too.” He looked at Sans. “But she can't keep going like this. She's just so tired anymore. She keeps worrying about it, and she's gonna make herself literally sick with worry.”

Sans went to answer but the ringing of his phone cut him off. Cursing, he dug it out of his pocket and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

“hello?”

“S-Sans.”

It felt like there was a pit drop in his nonexistent stomach as he gripped the phone tighter in his hand. Alphys seemed to pause and he heard her utter out a rare curse as she fiddled with something and he heard rustling papers. He felt sick.

“how long?” he asked, his voice tense.

The other science boys looked over at him now, scowling a little. Sans nodded and they all moved to get up, gathering their things as they readied to 'port over to the lab the second he was off the phone.

“M-maybe a f-few hours?” Alphys said, her voice catching. “I-I only came i-in to check j-just to make sure t-that it w-was okay.”

“we'll all be there shortly, alph.”

“O-okay.”

He hung up and stood, resisting the temptation to throw his phone across the room. Instead, he pocketed it again and stood with the others, running a hand over his skull. Morgan winced at the sound of bone on bone before he sighed.

“Go take care of it. The others and I will watch over her,” he said simply.

He nodded as Axe moved to take Mutt's place. You moved a little, letting out a little noise before you settled back on Axe's femurs. He stroked a hand through your hair, murmuring something none of them caught. Sans looked at Morgan, wanting to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

Instead, he simply looked at the others, who nodded and he watched as his counterparts blipped out of the room, easily making their way through the void and into the lab with Alphys. Sans was the last to disappear.

When he made it to the lab, it was chaotic.

He grunted as he put on his safety goggles and lab coat, his mind racing as he and Red went over to the machine with Alphys.

It was going to be a long night after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunter: no way in hell is she that great. let's play hide and seek tho to see if she'll come find me.  
> Readz: *walks normally through the forest*  
> Hunter: _dat ass_


	27. Two More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We welcome two more skeletons into the Alpha Timeline...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _  
> **HOW THE HELL HAVE WE ALMOST HIT 10K HITS? ALMOST 900 KUDOS????? WUT?**  
>  _   
>  ~~author.exe crashed~~
> 
> Anyway...  
> On this week's episode of ASoF: _Drama_.  
> Anyway, let's get this shit out the way, and I'll leave an explanation for one of the skeletons down below where I would usually post funny little quips from Bois and Readz.
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster & Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Want to see a collab work?  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363)
> 
> It's still in it's early stages, but it's by littlexsiren and myself. (: 
> 
> **Introducing**  
>  Fresh Sans  
> Zapfino

_You always enjoyed animals, it's why you went into the field you did. You definitely weren't expecting to be curled against the skeleton you were next to. A tail was lazily wrapped around your waist as you talked, your hands in front of you waving in the air. There were little noises you heard, like they were confirmations of something. You could feel your heart squeeze as you buried yourself further into the hold of whoever held you. A long muzzle nudged against your side, and a wave of comfort washed over you. You turned to see him, but the void swallowed you._

_You were riding on a back, clinging to the warm bones beneath you as you laughed. You heard him speaking, but his words were muffled, and you could only feel his absolute excitement as he charged through the open field. He was so excited, and you bounced as he ran around. You clung to his spine as he pranced around, your hair flying behind you as you made your way around in laps around the field. When he stopped and turned to look at you, the muzzle of his face turning slightly, you were yanked into blackness._

–

You awoke with a jolt, your hand flying to grip the fabric that rested over your chest. You glanced around, noticing there were still some of the boys in the tent with you. But a lot of the smarter, older brothers had gone. You could see Morgan's guitar, but no Morgan.

When you went to lay down, you heard a crash and you jolted upright again. Voices were rising, and you quickly tried scrambling from your nest before you felt something tighten around you. You moved a little, looking over your shoulder to see that Dusty had a grip on you. He wasn't really looking at you, but just over your head where the boys were yelling.

“...wouldn't do that, lilac,” he murmured, tugging you back down. You were too tired to fight back, and instinctively curled up into him. You tucked your head under his maw, which earned you a hollow chuckle. “things are getting' pretty hectic in there.”

“What happened?” you asked, your voice croaking.

“little lizard lady called last night,” Dusty answered. “she and classic exchanged a few words before he hung up and half the party left.”

You frowned. “Was I already asleep?”

His hum was your only answer. You shook yourself slightly and let your eyelids droop. His arm curled around you a little tighter as the voices got closer, and you heard a growl building in his chest. You instantly reached out, your hand stroking his cheek a little. He seemed to settle slowly, but there was still a small growl in the back of his throat.

You let your thumb stroke his cheekbone for a while, your eyes drifting closed only for them to snap back open when you heard the voices raising again. There weren't very many voices, but you could tell a few of your boys were starting to get frustrated.

“if one of ya dawgs don't start answerin' questions, we're really gonna be in for a **r a d** time, ya dig?”

That voice _definitely_ didn't belong to anyone you knew.

You shot up from Dusty's hold. You heard him curse as you made your way from the tent and noticed that none of the boys were in there, not even Morgan. You quickly made your way from the living room, trying to blearily rub the sleep from your eyes as you went.

When you finally managed to stumble into the dining room, your eyes zeroed in on the disaster that was the room now. Chairs were tossed aside and the table had been flipped on its side. The vases of flowers you, Blue and Papyrus picked by hand were now on the floor, surrounded by soil and ceramic. You took in the fact there were still bones in the walls and one had even managed to pierce the window without shattering it.

But what your eyes locked on, almost _immediately_ , were the two monsters standing in the room in the middle of all the chaos.

The one your eyes locked on first was the biggest between the two. He was standing at least a good head taller than even Edge. Out of all the skeletons, he was closest in height to Crooks. He had to at least be seven foot something. Maybe close to eight feet tall. But what really threw you about him was the way he looked like the nineties had gotten sick and puked and...he came out of it.

The hat he wore even had a spinny thing on top of it! You had to fight the urge to run up and just...spin it. You wanted to so bad. But it was red with a yellow bill, and his clothes were a mismatch of colors. Hues of bright greens, purples and blues. Yellow and reds decorated some of the accents of his outfits. He even wore basketball shorts like Sans, but they were definitely more colorful. Bright green around the hem and the rest was a majority of blue.

His glasses were large shades that had the word “YOLO” written on them. You only stared, blinking slowly. How did he even get them to stay up?

He was definitely a nineties reject, and you were actually excited for that?

You noticed movement behind this skeleton and snapped your eyes to it. There was a smaller one cowering behind him, gripping onto his hoodie. If they had skin, they would have been white knuckling their grip. You caught sight of what looked to be another teal eyelight, but it was in the shape of a circle, just like the boys'. Their hoodie was like Stretch's, a simple pullover with drawstrings. They had what appeared to be a gash on the side of their cheek.

You didn't have time to study them more as you watched as the nineties reject hauled Sans off the ground by the collar of his shirt.

You snapped.

“Put. Him. _DOWN_.”

All movement stopped, and every gaze went to you. But the reaction was immediate, and Sans was dropped. He stumbled when he landed, being pulled back worriedly by some of his variants. You felt yourself being pulled back as well. You looked over your shoulder to see Stretch glaring hotly at the obvious Sans duplicate in front of you.

In fact, all of the boys were glaring at him, including the younger brothers. Even the gentle ones like Blue, Papyrus and Crooks! Hell, Paps and Tiny even looked a tad scary. You felt Stretch's distal phalanges digging into your shoulder, and you winced, trying to pry him off of you.

“I'm not awake enough for this,” you grunted, removing yourself from his hold and you made your way into the kitchen, slamming things around as you went to make coffee.

The coffee drinkers followed alongside you, grumbling to themselves. You said no more, still slamming things down and gritting your teeth. Dusty was next to you, prying your hands away from where you were gripping a fork, contemplating stabbing at least one of them. He nudged you away.

After a few more minutes of waiting, he handed you a steaming cup, and you took it gratefully. Finally, you took a sip and sighed as you felt it touch your soul. You sent Dusty a quick “thank you” smile and then turned to look at Sans, who was nursing his own cup of coffee.

“I'm giving you three minutes to explain what the fu **-nk** is...going on...here?”

You held a hand to your throat, blinking rapidly. You got a few understanding glances from your boys who enjoyed their cursing just as much as the next sailor. You looked around the room, only to see all gazes on the skeletons behind you. The one that looked like the nineties spit him up had his held tilted to the side, and his hands were now shoved in his pockets.

“that's not very _rad_ of ya, now is it, lil brosephine?”

You glared at him. “Wait, you fu **-nking** censored – stop that!”

“gonna need t' ask ya t' stop usin' that kinda chatter, dawg,” he said simply. “it'd be real tight of ya.”

You winced. Wow. This was a flashback.

“Look, you need to shut up,” you said, rubbing a hand over your face, “and lemme figure out what's going on. It's literally–” You looked at the clock and let out a groan. “–nine in the morning, and this is what I wake up to. Please, can we just have a moment to _talk about why there are two more skeletons here_?”

“alphys called last night,” Sans said, his voice tight. You looked over at him. But he wasn't looking at you, he was looking at the colorful skeleton. “machine was going crazy, but when we got there, it wasn't...like it was with the others.”

When he didn't elaborate, you grunted, “As in...?”

“as 'n th' fact that 't was more unstable than usual,” Red said, grumbling. “th' fu- **nking** thing was going off th' charts.”

Rus shifted a little to the right, but those orange eyes were looking over your shoulder. “the da- **ng** thing was just haywire. took hours for us to calm it down. even after they came through.”

You sighed, before taking another long drink of your coffee. You were nowhere near awake yet, and Crooks gently took the cup from you and went to go refill it. You sat there in the tense silence, rubbing your temples as you groaned a little. This entire ordeal was giving you a headache.

“none of that, brat.”

Mutt's voice startled you. He gently took your hands from your hair, where you had been tugging at the strands and pulling your scalp. You let out a slow breath as Edge came over to stand behind you, resting his gloved hands on your shoulders.

Crooks came back over, handing you another steaming cup of coffee and pat your head for a minute before walking back to stand next to his brother. You looked over and noticed the skeleton behind the tallest one was watching him, sockets a little wide when you noticed something seemed a little off about them.

Other than the fact they hadn't said a single word, of course.

You turned to face the colorful skeleton in front of you, sighing through your nose. “Now for you. First off, I would really love it if you could not censor me. Secondly, _who are you_?”

There was a pause before you saw his face morph into a grin. You looked at him incredulously as he started guffawing, loud laughter that seemed to shake his entire frame. And your eye flitted to the skeleton behind him, hiding still but a small smile gracing their skull.

You were confused, even looking back at the boys. They all just shrugged before you turned back to look at the skeleton still laughing his coccyx off. After a few more minutes, he finally settled, blowing out a breath and shaking his head.

“my b, brosephine,” he chuckled. “name's fresh, yo. but ya buddies seemed t' know that already.”

“not hard to notice a parasite,” you heard Axe mutter.

You glared at him over your shoulder before looking back at Fresh. “And the other one...?”

“this is my boo, zapfino,” Fresh said, his voice a little tense. He hooked an arm behind him, bringing them out into the open a little more, but their grip held firm.

The boys watched them with looks ranging from confusion to downright suspicion. You glared at them, but they ignored the look in favor of watching Zapfino move uncomfortably. You hopped off your perch, catching their attention as you slammed down your now empty mug.

“There's no need to fu- **nking** stare,” you growled. “They're not some godda- **rn** animal at the zoo. Christ, you guys are horrible!”

You threw your hands up, mumbling to yourself as you whirled to face the shocked expressions of both skeletons. Instead, you gave them a small smile, holding your hands together behind your back as you rocked on your heels.

“So...my name is Y/n. And I'm what they call the 'lady of the house',” you said, shrugging a little, recalling what Sans had called you the previous day. “Welcome to the crazy little slice of life.”

The one skeleton – Zapfino – stepped out a little more and you caught a good look at them. There was a mask over part of their face, you realized, and it hid the other eyelight from view. You took in the gloved hand that was gripping onto Fresh's hoodie, the seafoam green hoodie. They were wearing boots that had fur lining and what looked like basketball shorts, but you couldn't be too sure.

When you looked at their face again, you blinked. They weren't _cowering_ behind Fresh...they were _observing_. Their eyelight you could see was flicking over all of the skeletons, like they weren't sure what they were supposed to say about them. But they looked shocked as hell.

When their eyelight landed on you, you smiled a little, easing your pose. You had to remember, they were thrown into a random universe they weren't familiar with. They were probably on guard because they weren't sure what to make of this universe.

So you brought your arms out from behind your back and held them out, smile soft.

“Welcome to the chaos that's home,” you said. “If you'd like, I can take you to a guest room until you figure out how to go about things. Or until Sans here is ready to explain what the he- **ck** is going on.”

The tension slowly seemed to dissipate, and you sighed, missing the look Sans sent their way when you went over to them. You gasped as your soul tugged, hand on your sternum as you gave a small hiccup of shock. All the boys were now around you, asking if you were okay.

“I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a little tug, that's all,” you said, smiling.

They backed off, but their glares turned to Fresh, who had his own hands in his hoodie pockets. You walked past the two of them, waving them along as you made your way from the kitchen. You looked over to see Morgan coming in from the front door. He looked haggard, and his eyes widened as he saw the skeletons that followed you. You held up a finger for him to pause.

“Everything can be explained by the buffoons in the kitchen,” you said, heading for the stairs. “I'm taking them to one of the guest rooms.”

You vaulted up the stairs, with the others behind you. None of you said a word, but you glanced back a couple times to make sure they were still following you. You had to slow down a little; they were staring all around the house, and peeking into doors that were open.

You took them up to the third floor; the room next to yours vacant. You knew Sans occupied the one on your other side, and it might help him keep his head if he knew these new skeletons were within reach should something happen. You didn't know what could happen, but you weren't about to tempt fate.

“This room should do for you guys,” you said, ushering them inside. “Hopefully the bed is big enough to keep your entire body on the bed. Just how tall are you?”

Fresh chuckled, guiding Zapfino to the bed and sitting them down on it. But he didn't move away from them as he turned back to regard you. You couldn't see his eyelights, and you fidgeted a little as he stared at you. Or, you thought he was staring at you. It was hard to tell with those glasses he was wearing.

“don't really know, lil brosephine,” he said, shrugging. “seven foot nine, maybe?”

“Christ, why is everyone taller than I am?” you grumbled.

You peeked out, catching a glimpse of some of the boys trying to be invisible or disappearing from sight. You glared down the hall, grunting as you came back into the room, and slamming the door shut. You took a deep breath before turning back to the two in front of you, putting on a sad smile.

“I'm sorry they seem so...angry with you,” you said softly. You glanced from Fresh to Zapfino. “So, Zapfino, huh? That's a pretty name.”

They didn't say anything, and you weren't the slightest bit offended by it. They kept their grip on Fresh's hoodie, but the single eyelight was on you. You weren't sure if she was like Axe and only had one working eyelight, or if she just didn't want to show the other eyelight.

You didn't know what, but something about this skeleton in front of you was off. It wasn't bad, nor was it a dangerous feeling. But there was just something about the way they observed you and your motions that made you think there was more to them than should be to any kind of person.

You looked up at Fresh and smiled. “Doesn't talk much, huh?”

“nah, they're just not used t' seein' smaller versions of me, dawg,” he said, shrugging. “where we comin' from, all ya boys out there are bigger than z here.”

Your eyebrows rose to your hairline, eyes flicking between the two of them. You could only watch as Z nodded, looking up at Fresh. They seemed to have a silent conversation, but you didn't interrupt them, instead opting to look around and think of some things they could use while they were here. Maybe more clothes. They would also need shower stuff...

“so do you know what the dillio is right now?” Fresh finally asked, causing you to jump a little.

You shrugged, looking down at the ground. “I wish I knew more than I do now, but from what I can gather? Sans was working on something and it seems to be bringing variations of him and his brother here. But...”

Your eyes shot up and studied the two of them. While Fresh was definitely a Sans variant, you couldn't pinpoint what Zapfino would be, but you definitely knew for a fact they weren't a Papyrus personality.

“Either way,” you said, smiling, “make yourselves comfortable. I'll be in the room next to yours, and Sans will be the one next to that. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to knock on my door, alright?”

With that you turned, heading back to the door and opening it, but not before the mixed scents of your boys hit you. You felt your eye twitch, keeping your smile in place as you turned to give them one more wave before closing their door and practically running down the stairs to the first floor.

When you made it to the first floor, you stood in the living room's archway, glaring at all of them while you crossed your arms. They were taking down the fort, and had most of it done already. You marched in and plopped yourself on the couch, silently glowering at whatever was in front of you.

“ya awright, sweetheart?” Buddy asked, glancing over.

“No, I'm not alright,” you said, your posture relaxing as you bend over to rub your temples. “Just...trying to not tear any of you apart for your _blatant disrespect_.”

You could feel them wince as you looked up, glare still on your face. You looked at each boy, except for Morgan. He was coming back over to sit next to you, rubbing your back calmly as you straightened, moving to sit on the edge of the couch.

“Seriously? What the hell was that shit show about?” you snapped. “I just wake up and the next thing I know, Fresh is trying to yeet Sans from the ground and looking like he was about to _eat_ him!”

“He's A Fuckin' Parasite,” Blackberry snarled lowly. “I Don't Know About That Other Skeleton With Him, But He's A Goddamn Parasite.”

“Black, you can't–”

“just let it go, bambi,” Hunter said, coming up next to you. “c'mon. why don't we go and sit outside for a moment to let you calm down?”

You huffed, G coming over to give you a cigarette and leaned down to kiss your cheek. You sighed, letting Hunter help you up for he steered you from the room, Morgan on your heels. Once outside, Hunter lit it for you, and you watched as the teal smoke drifted upward into the air. You shivered into the chilly air, watching your breath fog up in front of you.

You looked over at Hunter. “So what's your story?” you asked quietly. “There really wasn't much on you in the file.”

Hunter chuckled, looking around the grounds while he considered your question. Morgan had lit his own smoke, blowing it into the wind while he leaned against the house. He was eyeing the new skeleton in front of him.

Hunter opened his mouth, but paused. You were shivering, your arms wrapped around your tiny body, like you were trying to keep what little warmth you had. Your little nose was turning red and the tips of your ears had long since passed that stage. Your teeth were even chattering, loud in the quiet between the three of them.

Hunter shrugged of his jacket, throwing it over your shoulders. He made sure to avoid the cherry of the cigarette, motioning for the other human to take it for a moment. He moved your arms through the sleeves and zipped it up, pulling the hood over you head before having your friend hand you the smoke back.

You blinked in confusion, now surrounded by warmth that just seemed to encompass you. Your shivering slowly stopped as you blew out more that colorful smoke, watching it catch in the wind before you looked back to Hunter. He was now clad in a pair of pajama bottoms and a turtleneck, almost much like the one G wore.

You smiled up at him gratefully, earning you a dusting of teal magic across his nasal ridge. You also noticed the way the cross hair seemed to focus and then unfocus while his face was teal. But you didn't comment on it, moving to sit in the chair that Stretch usually sat in as Hunter sighed.

“what classic wrote down is basically all there is to it,” he said gruffly. “once frisk broke the barrier, monsters took it upon themselves for revenge. especially after the horrible greeting they gave us at the base of the mountain.”

“Did they know you guys existed?” you asked quietly.

“they did, actually,” he hummed. “they were no fools; in my timeline, they knew we were real, and they banned anyone coming to the mountain to set us free. frisk was the first in a long time to try it, and when they got back, well...lost 'em in the mayhem.”

“Did another war break out?” Morgan asked, leaning forward a little.

“i wouldn't call it a war; more like us claiming back our territory,” Hunter said, his eye sockets narrowing. You watched as the cross hair for his eyelight seemed to move and shift, like it was narrowing in on something in the distance. “it was grueling. even before i came here, humans were the _bane_ of my existence. all except frisk. who i never got to see after the riot that happened when asgore told them we were taking back our lands.”

You could feel it in your soul, his fear that something happened to them because they helped him. They helped monster kind. You reached over and took his hand in yours, smiling when his gaze flicked to you. He was tense, and you gave his hand a small tug.

“I'm sure they're fine,” you said.

“how do you know?” he demanded just as quiet.

“Because they're a Frisk,” you said, back straight. “And if it's one thing I've learned, it's that Frisks and Charas will _always_ be okay.”

He didn't say anything, just stood up when you did. As the three of you made it back into the house, you didn't take off Hunter's jacket. Instead, you snuggled into the fluff on his hood, taking in the scent of freshly fallen snow and apricots.

You knew it was going to be a long few days, after all.

–

Long few days was wrong.

Just the next two days alone were annoying. The human boys, G, Dusty, the Lust brothers and Hunter all ended up leaving Saturday, each giving you a kiss on the cheek. But when you tried giving Hunter his jacket back, he shook his head, saying he had a whole bunch more like it back at the ski lodge. Before you could protest, he kissed your cheek and vanished, leaving behind a small trail of teal smoke in his wake.

Today, however, you were ready to tear out your hair. So instead of sitting at home, Black, Edge and Mutt took you out training. Red had tagged along, but he was off running to get snacks for everyone when you decided to call for a break.

You jumped over a bone that Blackberry cast at you, instead managing to get one foot on it and jump off it and launch yourself at Edge, who swiftly moved out of the way before you could get him. You muttered a curse as you landed on your feet, swiveling around and jumping back as a red long sword came flying down at you.

The two boys had insisted on using their actual weapons. Blackberry's was a whip, made of baby blue magic that he could shorten or lengthen with amount of magic he put into it. It had a grip that fit his hand perfectly, and it tapered out into a sharp tip. Edge used a long sword, made of his scarlet magic. The grip had a guard on it, curving around his hand neatly and leaving a bit of room.

You turned around in time to dodge out of the way, moving just as Blackberry's whip came down where you had been crouching. You grumbled a curse, heading right for the little tyrant and shoulder checking him. He grunted, losing his footing as you jumped up on his back, crawling until you had your legs locked around his cervical vertebrae.

You threw yourself backwards, bringing him with you. He let out a slew of curses while he went down, the clatter of his bones the only sign you had that he had fallen with you. You unlocked your legs and spun out of the way as Edge slowly approached, his sword easily at his side.

Red had rejoined the room at this point, arms laden with bags from the supermarket from down the street. Mutt was already digging through them, humming to himself as he dug for something he wanted. But every eyelight was on you, watching as Blackberry got back up.

Edge lifted his arm with the sword cutting through the air just in front of you. You stepped back, barely missing the tip as it sliced right through where your collarbone would have been. You went to move, but felt something wrap around your ankle. The tingle of magic was your only giveaway as your foot was yanked from underneath you, causing you to stumble and fall.

You went down with a yelp, your arms catching you just in time. A searing pain went through them as you struggled to right yourself, sweat dripping from your forehead and onto the mat below while you strained to right yourself.

The whip left your ankle and you saw Blackberry's boots in front of you. When you looked up, he was smirking, holding his hand out to you. You sighed, taking hold of his hand and letting him haul you to your feet. He led you over to where the other three were now binging out on the snacks Red had brought.

Mutt passed you a water bottle as you plopped down next to him. You snagged it, twisting the cap open and chugging damn near the entire thing in one gulp. When you lowered it, you wiped your mouth with the bottom of your shirt.

“ya feelin' alright?” Mutt asked. “you usually don't go all out like that with m'lord and edgelord here.”

Edge grumbled at the name, but he nodded. “HE'S RIGHT. YOU'RE USUALLY MORE LAZY LIKE MY BURDEN OF A BROTHER.”

You shrugged. “I'm fine. Tensions are just really high in the house, and I'm really starting to feel it with everyone.”

“IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID FUCKING PARASITE THAT CENSORS EVERYONE!” Blackberry snarled. “THE CRETIN HAS BEEN KEEPING EVERYONE ON THEIR TOES, ESPECIALLY THE SANS.”

“he's right, ya know,” Red said before tearing into a honey bun. “i don't wanna sleep in the same house as that...leech.”

“You guys keep referring to him like that, and then Edge goes and says some shit like that?” You throw your hands up in the air, exasperation in every motion. “Look, can we drop it for now? I just wanna get this fucking extra energy out, go home, and throw myself into my pillows for bed.”

They did as you asked, and not one of them uttered another word as you dodged bones, ducked under swords and flew over whips. Red and Mutt watched you carefully, keeping a careful eye on your soul.

All of them had done so lately, since they had felt the cracks caused by your mother. They had been slowly mending, thanks to the determination that surrounded most of your soul, but they still wanted to be sure. They were worried, but not a single one would tell you they were. You already hated the way you showed up in front of Galaxy and Stars, who were, for some reason or another, still at the house.

When the three hour mark it, Red called it quits. You were shaking, panting, and sweating up a storm. But you didn't want to stop. Part of you was so exhausted you just wanted to collapse on your bed and curl up to read a book or something.

The other part of you couldn't shake the hurt that your mother put on you. You could still hear her words ringing in your head, snapping and poking and prodding at your subconscious. You were hurt, you were mad, but most of all, you felt sick.

She had known about everything in your life, _including_ your brother's disgusting feelings. She had to of; those three talked about everything and anything. It was why you stopped telling them things you were interested in. They would tell your mother, who would then force you to try it. And when you got tired of it, or didn't like it, she continued the torment.

It was a bad memory.

Red practically dragged you out of the gym, motioning for the others to get their rides home. He decided to put you down on your feet, wrapping you in his embrace. The scent of mustard and cherries surrounded you and you buried your face in his sternum as you felt the ground leave you.

When you made it back, the two of you slid to the ground in your room, your arms wrapped tightly around him as he held you to him. Your sobs shook your shoulders as you wailed into his shirt. The feeling of bile coming up was thick in your throat, but neither of you moved or said anything. He absently rubbed your back, his fangs pressed to the top of your head.

“yer awright, kitten,” he murmured. “don'tcha worry. we've got'cha.”

You stayed curled up in his arms. He never said anything about it, eventually opting to pick you up and carry you to your bathroom, sitting you down on the counter and brushing the stray strands of hair from your face. When you looked at him though bleary, tear filled eyes, you hiccuped, your eyes stinging.

“W-why...”

“sh, kitten. none o' that,” he said softly. His perma grin had turned down, his fangs barely visible through the frown he wore. “get'chaself cleaned up, awright? 'ma go downstairs wit' th' others, 'kay? if ya need one o' us, holler.”

You nodded, that strange charge in the air there as he telelported from your bathroom. You sat on the counter for a little while longer, sniffling as you tried to get yourself together enough to take a shower and get off the sweat and general grossness that coated your skin.

You turned on the water, peeling the clothing from your skin and letting it plop to the floor. You took out your hair tie, letting your hair flow down your back before you stepped into the shower. The warm spray cascaded over your form, your eyes closing as you moved back and let it soaked your hair. A soft sigh escaped your lips as you opened your eyes a little.

You were really tired. The tension was killing you, slowly taking any energy you had and you scrubbed yourself, cursing a little as you snagged your hair on a hang nail. Once you got out and dried off, you kept the towel around you and went into your room, heading right for your dresser to pull out underwear and a bra.

“Human.”

You nearly shrieked, turning to look to see Edge sitting on the corner of your bed, leg crossed over the other and his arms crossed over his breastbone. You held a hand to your chest, taking a moment to gather yourself before you growled and picked up a Funko Pop, ready to throw it at his head.

“Do any of you know how to fucking _knock_?” you snapped.

Your hand was encased in red magic and brought downward. You dropped the figurine as Edge stood from your bed and came over to you. You held still, silently glaring up at him as he approached. Man, he really was a tall skeleton. He was at least six and a half feet tall, if you were to guess. He towered over you easily.

Which is why when he leaned down and cupped your face in his hands, turning your head this way and that, you grunted.

“Edge, what are you doing?”

“Are You Truly Alright?”

You blinked up at him. He was worried about you?

“Of course I'm alright,” you said softly, your glare softening. “There's just been a lot of emotions going on and it's affecting me strangely.”

“You Best Be Telling The Truth, Little Bunny,” he murmured, his teeth nuzzling against your cheek in a skeleton kiss. “Now, Come. Get Changed So We Can Go See The Others.”

You nodded, watching as he left the room, closing your door with a quiet _click_. And you frowned. Had you been worrying the others with how you've been acting? You didn't think you were acting any different. You would just to wait and see.

Once you were done dressing in a pair of leggings and an oversized shirt, you left the room, taking your phone with you. Edge had been waiting by the door and you smiled as you took the arm he offered, and the two of you went down the stairs to the first floor.

The second your foot touched the ground, you felt magic prickling your skin, swirling in the air dangerously. You paused, looking up at Edge. He looked tense and you removed yourself from him to run head first into the dining room.

It was so thick with tension, you could have cut it with Edge's sword. Fresh and Zapfino were sitting at the table, both eyelights on Black as he glared at them from the kitchen entryway. Everyone gathered were staring between the parties, magic at the ready in case something happened. You felt yourself being moved back towards Edge as he tensed behind you.

“Black, You Need To Be Nicer,” Papyrus said, his eyelights flicking to you and back to the short tyrant.

“I WILL DO NO SUCH THING!” Black hissed. “THIS PARASITIC CREATURE NEEDS TO LEAVE THIS HOUSE!”

You snapped.

“Black, knock it off!” you barked. “I've asked you time and time again to shut up, and I'm not going to keep fu- **nking** asking you to shut up!”

That didn't even faze him and his baby blue lights stayed locked onto Fresh and Zapfino. You glanced between the three of them, body tensing in case you had to jump in. Granted, it probably wasn't a smart idea to jump into a room of magical skeletons anyway, but fuck it. You were ready to throw hands with anyone.

“KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF THIS, PET,” Blackberry huffed. “I'M DOING THIS TO PROTECT YOU MORE THAN MYSELF AND MY COPIES.”

The others bristled, and you could see the way Zapfino was shifting in their seat, their one showing eyelight slowly flickering with light. Your eyes widened and you looked at Black.

“Black, please, just stop.”

“HE'S A LEECH, Y/N. AND I WILL NOT HAVE HIM UNDER THE SAME RO – _SH_ _ **-IZZ**_.”

You watched in slow motion as Zapfino launched themself from the chair they were in next to Fresh, bounding over the table in one swoop. Their eyelight was alight with magic and aimed right at Black. You couldn't move forward to stop it; Edge had snagged your arm and brought you back to him right as Mutt and Galaxy appeared in front of you, arms in front of you in an “x”.

You watched as Zapfino summoned a weapon, a knife of sorts, their hand closing around it as they swung it towards Blackberry; they were holding it backwards, the back of the blade resting along their hoodie sleeve. He barely managed to dodge it in time, jumping back and landing on his feet smoothly. But it didn't matter as Zapfino ran up on him, throwing him into the wall and pinning him there. The knife was brought against his throat, pressing there while everyone held their breaths.

You gripped Mutt's hoodie sleeve, eyes wide as everyone looked on at the scene in front of them.

“Don't you _ever_ talk about my mate like that _again_!” they hissed. “Or I will _dust you where you stand_!”

The room was silent, and it seemed everyone was on the same page as you watched Zapfino's mask fell to the ground with a small clatter.

Zapfino was a girl.

Pandemonium ensued, and there was a moment where you had to get a few of the skeletons to hold Mutt back. You managed to rip yourself from Edge's hold, running to Zapfino and Blackberry. But you didn't grab his arm; instead, you grabbed Zapfino's hoodie sleeve, hauling her off of him and quickly making your way from the room.

You hauled ass up the stairs and ended back up in your room, slamming the door shut as there was static in the air and you turned as Fresh appeared next to Zapfino. You pressed your back against the door, taking in heaving breaths as you tried to think of what the hell just happened.

Your eyes landed on the girl skeleton in front of you, and you blinked slowly. Zapfino was now sitting on the ground, angrily panting as Fresh spoke to her softly. Their – _her –_ gaze flicked up toward you, and two things struck you in a single moment.

One: She had a diamond shaped, violet eyelight still slightly flickering with some magic.

Two: There were three holes in the side of her skull, each of them extending out from the socket, that reminded you of Axe's skull injury.  
Both eyes were flickering with magic, and you hesitantly held up your hands, palms out. You didn't want to cause any sudden movements, and you didn't want to startle her. She reminded you a lot of Mouse in that moment. Scared, and will scamper away at the slightest sign of trouble. Or, if you were Black, be attacked because you were backed into a corner.

“I'm not gonna cause any harm,” you said softly. “I'll reprimand him later. First, are you okay? Both of you?”

Zapfino said nothing, her teeth turned down in a frown and brow bones furrowed as she looked down to the floor. Fresh sighed and knelt beside her, wrapping her in a hug. You waited patiently for their answer, lowering your hands back to your sides.

It just occurred to you that you somehow managed to drag a skeleton almost two feet taller than you through the house and into your room. You felt powerful for a moment.

“she's cool, dawg,” Fresh said, staying next to her. “she's doesn't dig when they chit chat about me, ya know?”

You sighed through your nose, slowly moving down the door until you were seated on the floor. “It's alright, I can understand,” you said softly, smiling. You looked at Zapfino. “A girl, huh? It'll be nice to not be surrounded by so many boys.”

The other female in question glanced up at you, peeking from under Fresh's mandible. That diamond eyelight watched you and kept your smile in place. You knew it would be a while before either of these two trusted you, but you wanted to start early, so this way when things got too complicated, you could quell any situation that arose and not get hurt yourself.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I...I'm sorry. I lost my temper.”

You chuckled. “It's alright. I lose my temper with him a lot myself.” You paused, squinting your eyes for a moment. “Did Sans explain what was going on?”

Zapfino nodded while Fresh said, “yeah, bro said somethin' 'bout them all bein' your bondmates or something like that.”

You nodded. “Yeah, there's a...lot of you here.” You glanced down. “But you two are...together? I noticed you wearing a wedding band, so I'm guessing married. Which means...”

“lil brosephine.”

Fresh's voice cut you out of your thoughts, stopping your mumbling as you glanced over at him. He had an easy grin on his face, having pulled away from his wife a moment. You chuckled a little, rubbing the back of your neck.

“I apologize for threatening to dust your mate,” Zapfino murmured. “I just...I don't like how they call him things like that.”

You sighed. “I understand. I'll straighten them out when I'm able to. I just...” You groaned, rubbing your temples. “It was supposed to be a good fu- **nking** day...can you _please_ stop censoring me? That is really irritating.”

“He does it with everyone but me, really,” Zapfino said softly, a knowing smile on her skull. “Our versions of your boys get upset with it themselves, as well.”

“'Your versions'?” you repeated. You shook your head. “Hold on. First of, _please_ let me have use of my vocabulary. Secondly, you mentioned that before...”

Fresh looked unsure, glancing between his wife and you. You barely noticed the nod Zapfino sent him, but you watched as he sighed. You felt like there was something lifted from your chest, and you sighed, rubbing your sternum.

When they didn't say anything, you started spewing every curse word you could think of. You were growing steadily happier as you mixed them together to make insults, and you watched Fresh wince with each word that spilled from your mouth. You didn't care as you finally stopped, letting out a slow breath.

“That was so great,” you groaned.

“i'm regrettin' this already, yo,” he muttered, moving away from the other skeleton.

“Gonna have to get used to it,” you hummed with a huge grin. “I express myself in fluent sarcasm and cursing.”

The three of you were quiet for a moment while you tried to think of how you were going to handle this. The boys were going to be pissed, and you were going to have to find someway to placate Black. There was no way in hell he was going to let this go.

What a fucking day.

You finally stood, brushing your pants off out of habit, and you smiled at them. “I'm gonna go corral the boys. You can join when you're ready, or go back to your room. I don't give a shit what you do. But I need to make sure Black isn't tearing up the house.”

They only nodded and you opened the door, only to run nose to sternum with someone. You grunted, muttering a slew of curses again as you rubbed your nose. You really hated being shorter than some of the boys.

You glanced up with a glare to see that Stars was standing there, wringing his gloved hands together. He looked between you and the other two in your room before giving you a shaky smile.

“IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE OKAY, LITTLE BONDMATE!” he said, bringing his hands down. “THE OTHERS ARE WAITING DOWNSTAIRS! OR...THEY'RE DESTROYING IT.”

“Jesus _fucking_ Christ.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Pause.**
> 
> Now, for those of you who are wondering, Zapfino is a skeleton OC with her own backstory created by my lovely friend [Echobird53](https://echobird53.tumblr.com/).
> 
> She and I have gone back and forth about her character and she has done a very wonderful and amazing job on this character. Please, if you have _any_ questions, go to her Tumblr (linked above), and ask her. I'm sure she'd be more than willing to answer some of y'all's questions. (:
> 
> **all rights for Fresh Sans goes to loverofpiggies, and she knows this as well.**


	28. Explain And Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You reach the breaking point.  
> Fresh & Z explain.  
> Tango and Serif explain things.  
> Tango learns about himself.  
> Mutt & Serif both give you something.  
> You learn something new about your boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boi.
> 
> I've been havin' a goddamn blast in these discord servers in I'm. Just...crazy kinda fun, with amazing people and I'm just so happy so many people have told me they enjoy my story and that I get to talk with some of you through Discord and get to know how fabulous to all really are. 
> 
> So. 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr?  
> [This Flaming Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster and Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [Siren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Want a collab?  
> [When Darkness Fall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by both Siren and myself.
> 
> ~~"Put me in a fic so I know it's real."~~
> 
> Song in Chapter:  
> Come And Get It - Selena Gomez
> 
> Enjoy. <3

You managed to make it downstairs just in time to see bones flying through the house. Judging from the color of the magic, you knew it was Blackberry throwing a tantrum. And his loud voice hollering through the house was only proving your suspicions further. You broke away from Stars's grip, instead opting to hunt down the source of the magic in the air.

You didn't see as Zapfino and Fresh came down behind you and Stars, already on full alert and ready to fight back if need be. You were barely aware of one of the boys going over and handing Zapfino's mask to Fresh. You didn't notice the way she turned away from everyone to put it on again. You were too focused on trying to find the short tyrant before you stopped in the dining room, your eyes wide.

It was demolished. Table overturned, chairs were all over the room. A few of the vases in the room were smashed, soil and plant smashed into the grout of the tile flooring. Your mouth opened and closed for a moment, absolutely stunned as you watched Mutt holding his brother back. Or trying to guard him from the others.

A few of the boys were trying to go head to head with Blackberry. Edge was holding his brother back by his hood, and you could see Stretch struggling in Blue's hold. You clenched your fists and grit your teeth before you sucked in a breath through your nose.

_“Enough!”_

All activity stopped and you watched as every eyelight turned to you. Your shoulders were tense and you were standing there with your arms straight at your sides with fists clenched. Your legs were spread to shoulder length and your breaths were heaving from your chest. You locked eyes with each one of them, including the ones that hadn't been in the fray.

“Living room,” you snarled. “Now!”

You turned on your heel, stomping away. You didn't turn to see if they were following; you already knew they were. When you piled into the living room, you waited for Zapfino and Fresh to sit on the couch and you plopped next to them, sitting next to Fresh. The female skeleton glanced at you curiously, but neither of them said anything as the others filtered into the room.

You watched as they all took their usual spots. When Mutt tried to sit next to you, you shook your head, your eyes flashing a warning. He had held up his hands and backed away, sitting at the feet of his brother instead.

Once everyone was in the room, you leaned forward, elbows on your thighs as you spoke.

“That is the second time this weekend that dining room has been trashed,” you said, your voice shaking with rage. “I don't know what's going on right now, and I don't want to hear it. Unless you'd like to explain to me how he's such a fuckin' 'parasite'.”

None of them spoke up, each of them shifting uneasily. Fresh made no move to comment, and you would have told him to shut up anyway. This wasn't on him, this was on your boys, who were currently looking like they'd all tried to dip into the cookie jar before dinnertime.

“as you can tell,” Sans muttered now, his hands shoved in his pockets, “there are a bunch of versions of my brother and i. well, there are also versions that are referred to as 'out of code'. but those are mostly based off of...well, me. i haven't really heard of an out of code paps yet.”

“So you're telling me, that this giant ass skeleton beside me,” you said slowly, “is a goddamn out of code skeleton?”

“das right, li'l brosephine,” Fresh said, nodding along.

“But you mentioned...'my versions' and 'your versions',” you said, frowning. “What do you mean by that?”

Now that had captured the others' attention, as well. A few of them looked at him with a sneer. A couple of them just eyed him with distaste. But they all had the same curious undertone to their expressions as Fresh nodded along with what you said.

“'m glad ya remembered!” he said. “me an' my boo here, we ain't exactly from ya groups of universes, ya dig? we come from a different groupin'.”

“what do you mean, 'different grouping'?” Stretch mumbled, glowering. “there's only a certain amount of universes and only one like that universe.”

“but that's where you're mistaken, dude,” Fresh said. He himself leaned forward, mirroring your image. “there are other sets of ya universes, bro. And they all play th' same...except for one key factor.”

“WHICH IS WHAT?” Edge snapped, getting impatient.

“th' fact that all o' ya are at least seven feet tall or higher. sweets over there–” He motioned for Crooks. “he's at least ten feet tall back in those groupin' of 'verses.”

Red's eye sockets widened. “bara monsters.”

Fresh nodded, leaning back in his seat now. “i'm kinda salty none of ya saw it before hand. Ya just wanted to pick a fight with me.”

“YOU'RE STILL JUST LIKE THAT SANS-TAKING PARASITE!” hissed Blackberry.

You looked at Zapfino, who had remained silent, but you saw the way her eye sockets narrowed at Black again. You silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that you could get out of this conversation without having the living room destroyed, too.

“before ya go actin' all shady, hear me out, homie,” Fresh said. You winced as flashbacks hit you like a ton of bricks. “while i am like th' fresh ya heard about, 'm not him exactly.”

“My mate hasn't switched his host in years,” Zapfino finally interjected. “he's had the same one since he and I got married five years ago. Pretty sure its the same one when we met from ten years ago. I wasn't told otherwise.”

“and my wifey knows me better than anyone,” Fresh said, his voice snappish.

You sighed, rubbing a hand over your eyes. The silence was thickening and you couldn't take it anymore. You stood, glaring at the boys before you turned your glare on Blackberry. He winced, but covered it up by narrowing his own sockets.

“I expect the dining room cleaned up when I get back,” you said before you turned on your heel and went for the stairs. “I'm going out for a few hours. Serif and Tango at their studio?”

At Sans's nod, you charged up the stairs, muttering to yourself about this wasn't going to be good for your body, but you said fuck it. You got to your room, closing the door so you could change. You threw on a pair of yoga pants and slipped on a sports bra, tugging on a large shirt over it before grabbing a hair tie. Once you had secured your hair and put on your tennis shoes, you snagged your phone.

A knock on the door made you pause. You sighed, heading over to it, opening the door and blinking when you saw Blackberry and Mutt standing there. The shorter of the two motioned to your room, silent askance if he could enter. You only stepped to the side, letting them both into your room before you closed the door behind them.

When you turned to face them, Black knelt in front of you, placing a hand over his sternum, where his soul would be.

“Black?”

“I Am Sorry, My Queen,” he said softly, looking up at you. His baby blue eyelights were wavering in his skull, and you paused. “I Did Not Mean For This To Get So Out Of Hand.”

You sighed, bending down so you could help your bondmate to his feet. Mutt was behind him, looking away and out the window. You looked back to Blackberry, smoothing a hand over his cheekbone as you gave him a small smile.

“I'm not going to forgive you right away,” you said, “but you need to try and be a little nicer with those two. They're here for a reason, and I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, yeah?”

“i think they may be platonic bondmates of yours,” Mutt said, turning his head to look at the two of you. “th' way that nineties trash was lookin' at you made me think he wouldn't be your bondmate romantically, but perhaps platonic.”

You nodded your head thoughtful, moving your hand away from Black. He made a small grumble of displeasure, but you ignored it as you opened your door back up, ushering the two of them out while you closed it back up. Once that was settled, you made your way back to the first floor. Everyone was walking around, getting ready to clean up the dining room.

You sighed as you went to the door, grabbing your coat and throwing it on before sticking your phone in your pocket. Before you could step foot out the door, a hand on your arm made you pause. You looked over your shoulder, watching as Mutt came a little closer to you, wrapping you up in a hug.

“Mutt, what are you doing?” you asked, glaring up at him. “Shouldn't you be helping the others?”

“m'lord wanted me to accompany you,” he said, shrugging. “an' his orders come first.”

You groaned, shaking your head before you gripped his hoodie tight and buried your face in his sternum. “Fine. Get this over with.”

He chuckled before the world fell away from your feet. You didn't think you'd ever get used to the feeling of transportation, even as you felt the ground under your feet once more. There was a moment of pause before you moved away from him, testing your balance to make sure you were okay. Once satisfied, you looked up at him with a little smile.

“Thanks,” you murmured, your breath fogging up in front of you.

Leaves crunched under your feet as you turned and made to go into the building. Instead, Mutt once more wrapped a hand around your arm and gave a little tug. You turned back to look up at him and almost yelped at how close he had gotten.

He bent down, pressing his forehead against yours. Little clouds of air escaped your lips as you gazed into those amber eyelights, flicking your eyes between the two glowing orbs of magic. His hand came up to cup your cheek, and you felt your breath lock up in your throat as you struggled to find something to say.

But you didn't need to as he leaned down, closing the distance between the two of you. His teeth pressed against your mouth and your eyes closed, one of your hands coming up to grip the hand cupping your cheek.

Electric tingles erupted against your lips, and your breath escaped through your nose as you pressed yourself closer to Mutt. A low rumble erupted in his chest as he wrapped his other arm around your waist, pulling you flush against him as he assaulted your senses.

Something prodded your lower lip, and you opened automatically, feeling the tingling escalate as he moved his hand from your cheek and gripped your hips with both hands, hoisting you up. You gasped when your back was slammed against the brick wall, your legs locking around his hipbones as he pressed further into you.

One of his hands came up to tangle in your hair, tilting your head to the side to deepen the kiss. You panted against him, your heart racing in your chest. You could _feel_ your soul humming in your chest as you gripped fistfuls of his hoodie in your hands.

When he finally pulled away, there was a faint amber hue across his zygomatic bones. Your own face was flushed, your breath coming in quick, fogged pants as you looked into his eyelights. They were a little fuzzy around the edges, and you smiled up at him.

“Hi,” you murmured.

He didn't put you down, but he did lean his forehead on yours. You closed your eyes, letting out a slow breath while you tried to calm your racing heart. When you opened your eyes again, he slowly lowered you back to your feet, his hands resting on your hips.

“we'll see ya when ya get home, darlin',” he murmured, kissing your forehead before he let go, stepping back into the void and vanishing from sight.

You stared after him, blinking slowly and letting out a slow breath. You scurried into the building, waving to Tango and Ruby before you jogged into the room with Serif. He was fidgeting with his iPod, muttering through something on there before he turned as you entered.

You gave him a smile, shrugging off your coat before you threw it on the other side of the room. “I know today's not technically the day for us. But...things are going crazy at the house and training with Edge and Black only did so much.”

He nodded, holding out his hand for you. You chuckled, taking his hands as his eye flared with his magic. Music turned on in the room, blasting from the four speakers overhead as you and him swayed and rocked to the music.

You stepped around him, pivoting. He would mirror you, grinning as the two of you continued playing a strange game of cat and mouse. Every step taken, every breath made. There was a sheen of sweat coating your forehead and droplets rolling down your back.

The song changed and you swayed your hips along with the rhythm, hands held above your head as the lyrics blasted from the speakers above you.

_“When you're ready come and get it_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na_

_“When you're ready come and get it_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na_

_“When you're ready_   
_When you're ready, ready_   
_When you're ready come and get it_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na_   
_Na na na na.”_

You moved your hands back down, moving away from Serif as he grabbed for you. You sent him a lecherous grin, eyes sparkling as you twirled away from him, skidding along the floor a few steps. Your shoes squeaked, but neither of you noticed.

_“You ain't gotta worry, it's an open invitation  
I'll be sittin' right here, real patient  
All day, all night, I'll be waitin' standby  
Can't stop because I love it, hate the way I love you  
All day all night, maybe I'm addicted for life, no lie. _

_“I'm not too shy to show I love you, I got no regrets.  
I love you much, too much to hide you, this love ain't finished yet.  
This love ain't finished yet  
So baby whenever you're ready _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready  
When you're ready, ready  
When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na.”_

You stopped in your running, beckoning him to you. He skid along the floor, wrapping you in his arms as the two of you swayed together. Your hands cupped his cheekbones as you mouthed the song, singing along to it. Your lips, still only slightly swollen from Mutt's kiss, grazed along the bone, your fingers gentle as they caressed him.

You smiled, looking up at his eyelights. They were slightly fuzzy, but you could see through his expression he adored you. It made you giggle a little as you moved away again, singing along with chorus.

“ _You got the kind of love that I want, let me get that (Let me get that, yeah)  
Baby once I get it, I'm yours no take backs.  
Gon' love you for life, I ain't leaving your side  
Even if you knock it, ain't no way to stop it  
Forever you're mine, baby I'm addicted, no lie, no lie. _

_“I'm not too shy to show I love you, I got no regrets.  
So baby whenever you're ready _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready  
When you're ready, ready  
When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na.”_

You threw yourself back into his arms, and he caught you, twirling you around in a half circle before bringing your bodies flush against each other. Your hands slid down the front of his shirt, your fingertips bumping over the ribs. You were careful not to grab them; you still remember the last time you did that.

The memory made your face only flush red further and you hid a smile as you did a small body roll into him. You saw his eyelights flicker for a moment before you nuzzled his cheekbone.

_“This love will be the death of me  
But I know I'll die happily  
I'll know, I'll know, I'll know  
Because you love me so, yeah! _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na _

_“When you're ready  
When you're ready, ready  
When you're ready come and get it  
Na na na na  
Na na na na  
Na na na na.”_

You were pulled flush against him as the song ended, your hands on his cheekbones, heart hammering in your ears as his hands tightened around your waist. The next song played, but neither of you moved as you took in the grin in front of you. You kept your forehead on his, panting a little as you took in the eyelights in front of you.

You didn't really know how long the two of you stayed like that. But when you went to pull away, he gripped just a little harder. You let out a shocked yelp, looking over at him. His head was tilted and you felt him take in a deep breath.

“ya smell like the dog,” he mumbled.

You chuckled, albeit a little nervously, and moved your face so you could look to the side. “I...uh...do?”

“i'm not gonna be mad, sweets,” he murmured into your temple.

You looked back over at him, confusion clear on your face. He gave a gentle smile, place his cheek on yours as he sighed.

“there is a side of me that _wants_ to be mad,” he said softly. “but i can't because you're not just my bondmate. you're bonded with the others, too, and i can learn how to share.”

You smiled a little before gasping slightly as a shiver crawled down your spine. Serif had gripped your earlobe between his teeth, giving it a gentle bite and tug. You went to move away, but his grip was firm as he held you.

He moved back, bone sliding along your skin before his eyelights came back into view. He closed the distance without warning, one hand burying itself in your hair as his other arm was banded around your waist.

You felt your hands burying themselves in his shirt, your eyes closing as you enjoyed the scent of pears and pistachios around you, the smell moving to the taste on your tongue as yours met his in a gentle tangle.

You felt yourself moving, being backed away. He lifted you, much like Mutt had and when you broke away for a huge gulp of air, the orb of magic in his socket flashed up at you, a smirk on his teeth before he brought your mouth back down.

Your panting filled the room around you, your legs thrown over his hipbones and locked at the ankles as he continued to assault your mouth and tongue. There was a low rumbling coming from within his chest as he moved his hand down, getting a handful of your ass as he curled his tongue around yours.

Your mouth was tingling with the feeling of magic as he held you high, and you felt his own magical appendage leave you. Not two seconds later, he bit down on your lower lip, eliciting a small whimper from you.

He pulled away, allowing you another lungful of air as he nuzzled into the bottom of your jaw. “stars, i've wanted to do that for so long.”

“What?” you breathed out. “Kiss me or grab my ass.”

“both.”

It was silent between the two of you for a moment before he finally let you down, slowly letting you move down his body. When your feet were planted firmly on the ground, you gave a weak chuckle and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Your lips lingered for a moment before you pulled away and sighed, resting your forehead on his.

“Is this what it's gonna be like?” you whispered.

“what do you mean, sweets?”

The two of you sat down and he turned down the volume of the music before turning to look at you. You looked up at the ceiling, resting your back against a mirror, trying to think over what you wanted to say. But really, what was there to say?

“Everyone always up on me, trying to kiss me and take my attention? What if they try to make the others jealous and fights break out?” you asked, waving your hands in the air. You kept your eyes on the ceiling, but you faintly heard the door open as Tango made his way into the room. “What's gonna happen if more of you come here? I adore you all in your own ways, but stars above and below, I can't...I don't...”

You felt your throat closing up on you, and you choked on the words. You brought your hands to your face. You pushed the heels of your hands into your eyes, trying to stave off the burning feeling within them as you counted to ten in your head.

“I don't want to disappoint anyone,” you whispered brokenly. “I just want the others to be happy and get along...”

You were silenced by a pair of arms wrapping around you. The smell of roses and green tea surrounded you as you were pulled against a chest. You felt yourself rocking with them, whoever it was. You laid your cheek on their sternum, keeping your eyes covered. The feeling of the silk shirt underneath told you it was Tango who was holding you.

“Do Not Fret, Rose,” you heard him murmur.

“yeah, it's hard now, and it might be like a competition for a little while,” Serif said, humming. “but i'm sure it'll get better, ya know? everyone will learn how to live around each other when it comes to you.”

“Sans Is Right,” Tango said above you.

When you didn't respond, you heard the shuffling of clothes and you felt yourself being turned away from the taller of the two until your back was pressed against his front. You huffed out a breath as you felt a pair of hands grab your wrist, gently prying your hands away from your eyes. You blinked a few times to let your eyes adjust to the brightness of the room.

Two white eyelights greeted you, and an easy grin made your own small smile appear. “everything will be okay, sweets. promise.”

You nodded, wiping your eyes from the tears that had been there. It was silent for a time while you gathered yourself and your thoughts. You leaned against Tango's sternum, smiling as Serif was content enough to just sit in front of you.

“Can I ask you guys something?” you finally asked after a few silent moments.

“of course.”

“YOU CAN ASK US ANYTHING!”

Their answers were simultaneous, and you couldn't help the small chuckle that slipped past your lips. Both boys smiled, and waited as you gathered yourself enough to actually ask what you wanted to. But they both could guess what you were about to ask. G and Sin had mentioned you been asking them about their universes.

“What was it like with your universe?” you finally asked. “I figured there's a lot of dancing, but you guys have different styles and...”

Tango chuckled a little when you paused. Serif only grinned wider as he hummed.

“it's alright, sweets.” Serif nodded as he leaned forward a little, elbows on his kneecaps and his skull cupped in his hands. “you're cute when you get going.”

You felt like there was a double innuendo in there somewhere.

But you said nothing as Tango started talking.

“YOU ARE CORRECT WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF DANCING!” Tango said happily. “IN OUR UNIVERSE, EVERY MONSTER IS BORN WITH ONE KNOWN DANCE!”

“we can know more than one dance,” Serif continued. “but that specific style is ours, ya know?”

“So like how hip hop is your style...”

“latin is more paps's style.”

You nodded slowly. “Is there any kind of etiquette to it?”

“YOU MUST ALWAYS BOW BEFORE YOU DANCE, AND SOMETIMES AFTER, GIVEN WHOM YOU'RE DANCING WITH.”

Your jaw dropped and you shot a look over to Serif. “We haven't bowed to each other! Christ in a tree, you should have told me that was something!”

Serif was laughing, his hands covering his face as he shook his head. You could feel yourself bouncing a little as Tango chuckled behind you. You felt Tango's hands in your hair, devoid of gloves as his phalanges twirled through your curls.

“it's fine, sweets,” Serif finally breathed out. “we're not in our universe anymore, so it's not as big a deal.”

“IT WAS ALSO THE WAY YOU DODGED ATTACKS!” Tango informed you.

“Dodged them?”

“the fight system,” Serif explained. “an encounter.”

“I...don't know much about that,” you admitted sheepishly. “Everyone keeps telling me that they'll tell me, but well, no one's ever gotten around to it.”

Tango hummed behind you. “I BELIEVE THAT IS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION MOSTLY FOR YOU AND THE OLDER BROTHERS, PLUS STRETCH AND THE OTHERS THAT WISH TO JOIN ON THAT.”

Serif nodded. “while our little bros are cool and all, we're the ones who can describe the fight system a little better. much like how paps here can tell you all about the stats of the soul.”

“You mean like hope?” you asked, leaning back a little more to get him in your line of sight. “Because I've been curious about that.”

“AH YES!” Tango fidgeted behind you and you moved away from his lap to sit in front of him. He held up six fingers. “There Are Five Stats For Your Soul, Plus Your Name And A Feeling. The First Thing To Pop Up Is Your Name. Then Comes Your HP, Then Your LV, Then The EXP, After That Is Your ATK, And Your DEF. Then, What You Could Be Feeling In That Moment.”

“Sounds like a video game,” you murmured.

“It Does!” Tango agreed. “But It Is Not. HP, That's Your Hope. Then You Have Your LV, Which Is Love, Which Is Short For Level Of Violence. EXP Is Short For Execution Points.”

Your eyes were wide as dinner plates as you looked between the two of them. Neither seemed fazed by it, but your entire world had shaken. Level of violence? Execution points!? Just what kind of world did these monsters live in Underground? Was it just all that magic concentrated in that area that caused some weird shit like that to happen?

You didn't know, but you listened to Tango continued speaking anyway.

“ATK And DEF Are Just What They Sound Like – Attack And Defense.” He had dropped a finger with each thing he had named off.

“So...when you guys are talking about my hope dropping...”

“they're speaking actual hope,” Serif said, nodding along. “you're a curious case, though. you've gone through a lot of stuff, especially with your mother, and yet your hope is still high. 'specially for a human with an lv of one and no exp.”

You hummed at that, taking Tango's hand in both of yours. You turned his hand this way and that, much like you had with G when you were eating that one day. You traced your fingers softly over the bone as you spoke.

“I...always looked ahead, you know?” you murmured. “I knew it wouldn't last forever. I just needed to remember that as soon as I could leave, I could get as far away from her as possible.”

“YOU HELD ONTO THE HOPE THAT YOU COULD GET AWAY FROM HER INFLUENCE,” Tango said.

“Exactly.”

It was quiet between the three of you for a while as you played with Tango's hand. He gazed down at you, but you didn't seem to notice as your hand gently grazed over bone. He took in the way your hair had slowly fell from the ponytail you kept it in when you danced with them. There was a stray lock brushing gently against your cheek.

Your eyes were locked onto the bone, as though you were trying to figure out how the carpals and metacarpals were fused together. Your body was hunched, and it was like you didn't even realize it, even as you unconsciously shifted forward on your bottom, coming closer.

Your hands were so warm, soft to the touch. There was a shiver that wracked his body as he watched your hand move a tad higher, scraping gently over his radius. You were so focused on what you were doing, it was like you didn't hear his bones clacking together.

You were definitely...something. At first, Tango had been excited to have you as a bondmate, and he would admit he was adamant to chase that bond. But the longer he was around you, the more he realized he didn't think he liked you in the way the others did. The others often commented on things they wanted to do to you, or something as lewd.

But him? He just wanted to spend time with you, maybe a little cuddling on the couch while you watched TV with him. Maybe cook together and eat together. But he didn't find himself...attracted to you like that. He had talked to Sa – Serif about it, but he said it wasn't a big deal.

Apparently, there were things such as platonic soulmates, where you just knew you were meant to be close friends for the rest of your days. Serif had explained that the two new skeletons that popped in the other day were the same way, and that it wasn't a bad thing. But that he should tell you soon, so you didn't think you needed to be romantic with him in anyway.

He would do that soon, just not right now. You seemed just as content with your little fingers wandering around his hands.

–

When you got home, you went right upstairs, heading for your room to shower. You were soaked with sweat and grime, and you could feel little droplets still clinging to your back despite the fact that it was cold out there. You went to your dresser, pulling out clothes for you to change into before you went into the shower.

Once you were finished with that, and were dressed, you left your room, phone in your hoodie pocket as you made your way to the first floor. You looked around, noting that a few of the skeletons were missing. Probably to go to work, or the others needed to head to their cottages to make sure they didn't burn down.

But what you did take note of was the way that Fresh and Zapfino were curled on the couch, reading a book together, while the others went about their day. Serif had changed into a pair of sweats, a new hoodie and a black tank top, sitting in his bean bag beside Red while they played some co op game.

Stretch was passed out on one of the couches, book over his sockets and a sucker stick between his teeth. One leg was thrown over the back of the couch, and the other was off the edge of the couch, as though keeping his body up on the furniture as he slept.

Sans was tapping away on a tablet in his chair, glasses taped to his face as his eyelights flitted over something on the screen. He was rocking gently in the chair, one leg tucked under the other as his brow bones furrowed a little.

You smiled a little and came further into the room right as Red let out a rapid fire curse...

In another language?

“ _b_ _lyad'_!” he growled out. “ya've gotta be kiddin' me!”

You paused, turning to look at the skeleton as he grumbled curses and hissed out things in a different language. You heard chuckling, and you looked over to see Stretch sitting up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from one of his sockets. You still winced at the sound of bone on bone, but it wasn't as bad as it was before.

Fresh and Zapfino looked up as you entered, each of them giving you a wave before going back to the book they were reading. You gave them one back, opting to go sit next to them and plopped at their feet. You instantly felt one of them nudge against you, as though making sure you were actually there.

“startle ya?” Stretch asked, yawning a little.

“I didn't know any of you knew other languages?” you asked softly, looking at the others in the room.

“yeah, some of us have been out and around the world,” Sans said. “i went to japan not long before i met you. went with 'dyne and alph. oh, and buddy tagged along.”

“What, wait. Really?” you asked, your back straightening a little.

“You've been around them how long?” Zapfino asked above you. Her tone didn't sound off, nor did she sound malicious. Just curious.

“A couple of months? Since before Halloween,” you replied, looking back at her.

You noticed her mask had been chipped, probably when it had fallen from her face. But she had her hood up and covered her skull. She was leaning close to Fresh, almost like she was attached to his arm. But recognized the position. She was using him more for comfort and familiarity than to hide behind. You had done the same thing with your father when your own anxiety had been through the roof.

“kitten's known 'nilla over 'ere longer than that, though,” Red said gruffly, trying to shoot Serif in the game. “couple years 'r some sh- **izz** like that.”

Sans merely shrugged. “japanese is hard to do when you don't even have a mouth,” he mumbled, flicking through his tablet again.

Zapfino rolled her showing eyelight, mumbling, “Sounds just like the one I know,” with Fresh nodding along with her.

You chuckled a little as you looked back over to Stretch. “Do _all_ of you know different languages? Or just the ones within the house?”

“nah, we all know 'em. Even the humans,” Serif said, his voice mildly monotone as he focused on his game. “it was just decided everyone needed a break from each other, so we went in groups to different places and learned different things.”

“Oh,” you hummed. “Where did everyone go?”

“russia,” Red grunted, mumbling something as he dodged Serif once more in the game and took down the other skeleton. “in ya face, ballerina!”

Serif only rolled his eyelights in his skull before he turned to face you. “i went to italy, with black actually.”

“you. went to italy. with the mini tyrant?” Fresh asked over your head. His voice sounded absolutely unbelieving. “how could anyone stand to go anywhere with him?”

Serif shrugged. “it was supposed to be a vacation from each other and our brothers. so, weirdly enough, black and i both wanted to go to italy.”

“i know blue, paps and stars went to thailand for the vacation,” Stretch commented. “sin and i went to france for a while.”

“dusty and i went to russia for ours,” Red said, turning in his bean bag to look at you. “he's a fuckin' weirdo, but he knows his shit.”

“papyrus and tiny both went to wales,” Sans murmured, looking up for a brief moment. “they mentioned how much fun they had there.”

“boss and galaxy went to ireland, learned some gaelic,” Red mentioned, scratching the side of his skull. “and i know g and pink know latin. Self taught, i think.”

“rus, mutt and axe went to germany,” Serif chuckled. “axe wouldn't stop talking in the language for a month. pissed everyone off.”

“guy and hunter went to spain for a while,” Stretch noted. “sometimes hunter will make the stuff they learned to make over there.”

“crooks, chief and tango went to korea,” finalized Red, turning back to his controller. “but they didn't eat any dogs or cats.”

You chuckled a little. You put your chin on top of your arms as you watched the boys playing their game. It was quiet in the house, and you looked around to notice it was really only the louder boys, other than Tango, who were missing in the group. You leaned against a pair of legs, which moved a little bit so you could squeeze yourself between them.

When you glanced up, you noticed it was Fresh, who was looking down at you. He sent you a grin before he went back to his book with Zapfino. You simply let a small smile slip on your face as you continued to watch the boys play their games.

Despite the way that your weekend had started, it seemed to be tapering off into something peaceful. And you wouldn't trade it for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red: *cursing in another language*  
> Readz: "oh shit, y'all know more languages?"  
> All the boys: *all speaking in different languages to readz*  
> Readz: Oh, well there go my clothes and panties.


	29. Workin' Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You start your new job.  
> Edge takes you out.  
> Fun times with some bois ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! As we can all see, I didn't do my usual Sunday update. And I'm sorry for that. But ya girl got her job back, so now I'll be moving the updates to Tuesday/Wednesdays. Depending when I have the most energy.
> 
> With that being said...
> 
> Follow my Tumblr?  
> [The Garbage Pile.](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster & Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [Siren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Want a collab?  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren & myself.
> 
> **Oh, and before you go:**  
>  I have my own Discord for ASoF now! Come join us in our shenanigans and whatnot! There's even an area dedicated for asking the boys and Readz questions that you've always been curious about.
> 
> [A Skele-ton of Fun Discord!](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> Enjoy!

The next day, you were starting your first day at Muffet's boutique. You put on a pair of your more fitted jeans, a pair of shin high snow boots, and tucked your favorite shirt into your waistband. You didn't know if she'd want your hair up or down, so you left it down, putting a hair tie on your wrist just in case.

Once you deemed yourself ready, you grabbed your jacket and made your way out of your room. You noticed that Fresh and Zapfino's door was still shut, and that Sans's door was cracked open. In the time you'd been here, you had noticed the boys all left their room like that when they were up and about for the day.

You made your way to the first floor, heading right into the kitchen. The early risers were already up and moving around, even some of your more lazier boys were hanging around. You chuckled, tapping Sans on the skull as you passed him by and shoving Red's grabbing hands away out of distinct habit.

You went right for the coffee, which Edge handed you your cup before you even went for anything. It was still steaming, and you chuckled as you took a small sip. You sighed and went over to the little island in the kitchen, hopping up on the counter and continuing your drinking.

“red's gonna take you to muff's,” you heard Sans call to you. “then one of the other's will pick you up. Probably gonna be edge or stretch.”

You nodded, though you knew he couldn't see you. You just drank your coffee, humming a little to yourself as you swung your legs back and forth. You handed Tango a few things from beside you, or gave Blueberry the pan he was looking for that you were hiding behind your butt. Edge made his way around you to grab something and Papyrus handed you a piece of toast behind the others's back.

You chuckled and nibbled on it, your mug in the other hand. No one said anything really, other than asking for something from the others, but it was nice. The quiet was peaceful, and you sighed through your nose as you drank the last of your coffee.

You slid off the counter, placing the cup in the sink. Before you could start washing it, Blueberry shooed you away, which you shot him a glare. He only grinned and winked at you, which had you rolling your eyes and heading over to Red.

“ya ready t' go, kitten?” Red asked, his eyelights rolling over to you.

“Yeah, let's go get this over with,” you chuckled tiredly.

He gave you a small grin, standing and coming over to where you'd paused. He wrapped his arms around you, bringing you close to him as you buried your face into his rib cage. You closed your eyes a second before you felt the ground beneath you vanish. And you were floating in that endless, cold blackness the boys told you about.

When you felt the ground beneath your feet, you managed to pull yourself away a little bit. You sighed, blowing out the silent breath through your nose as you took in the surroundings. You saw the boutique had just opened. You went to step out of the alleyway the two of you had landed in, but you weren't able to.

Red kept his hold tight on you, and you tilted your head when you looked up at him.

“Red? I have to go inside now,” you said softly.

Red only stared down at you with those crimson eyelights. They flickered over your face before they moved down. You knew he was staring at your mouth, but your tongue flicked out to lick along your bottom lip anyway unconsciously.

He didn't say anything as leaned down and kissed you, his teeth against your lips. You sucked in a breath through your nose as he moved so you were pinned against the brick wall and his bulky frame. Your eyes closed as his magic tingled against your mouth.

One hand moved off of you, but you knew it was next to your head if the sound of his claws on the brick was anything to go by. The other stayed around your waist and you let out a startled gasp as his patella moved in between your legs. Your legs spread the tiniest bit, and you felt him settle himself there as he leaned in.

His tongue drug along your bottom lip and you opened for him, letting his magic spark along your tongue. Your heart hammered in your ears and your fists gripped the front of his tank top. Blood boiled in your veins as his hand moved from the wall to tangle into your hair.

When he pulled away, your eyes snapped open, and you looked up at him as your breath fogged up in front of you. He was smirking down at you, his eyelights flashing in the slight darkness of the alleyway. His gold tooth glinted ever so slightly as he leaned in and captured your lips a second time.

You breathed out through your nose, smiling into the kiss before you broke it off, panting and leaning your head back until hit the brick. You stared up at the sky and counted to ten in your head, trying to quiet your racing heart.

Three kisses in two days. Wow.

“kitten?”

You brought your head back down and looked into his eyelights. They flicked between your own eyes and you gave him a lazy smile. Your fingertips grazed his cheek; the bones were icy cold under your touch, but you knew he didn't feel the cold like you did.

“I gotta go inside, Red,” you chuckled lowly. “I don't wanna be late for my first day of work, right?”

He only cracked a grin, leaning in to place his teeth against your forehead in a small, skeleton kiss. When you opened your eyes, he winked before disappearing before you with a small shift in the air. Red smoke drifted upwards, the only trace he'd been near you at all. You blew out a breath and smiled, leaving the alleyway to go into the store. Muffet was busy moving around some sewing kits when you walked in.

She turned to face you, her eyes blinking slowly as she grinned at you.

“My, my, dearie~! You look positively flustered!” she giggled.

You scoffed, taking your beanie from your head and ruffling your hair a little bit as you went to the door marked “Employee's Only”. Muffet followed you, her hands working on a couple of different things as you shrugged off your outerwear and hung it up on a chair that was back there. You tugged off your gloves and fixed your clothes and sighed, fixing your hair a little.

“It's been an eventful holiday,” you finally groaned. “There's been so much stuff going on and I'm going cross eyed from everything happening.”

She giggled again, but shook her head. “I can most certainly tell. You reek of all of them, even the ones I don't see very often or at all.”

You only chuckled. “It's because one of them is constantly holding me or touching me. I don't mind the attention, really. Just...need some space to breathe.”

Muffet nodded her head along as you came past her into the shop once more. You stood behind the register, leaning on the counter as she went around and began explaining where things were, how to cut certain fabrics for other people. If a monster came in, chances were they would as for things in monster measurements, so she had given you a sheet to look to for cases as such.

By the middle of your shift, you were moving all over the store at the speed of light. Muffet was helping with orders in the back, and helping a woman with her wedding gown. You showed a mother and her son to the correct aisle of clothes they were looking for. A girl looking for a good date outfit came wandering in and you helped her.

Customer after customer came through the store, and you hummed, smiling to yourself as you helping them all. Some of them didn't need much help, and there were a few of the more...flirty clients that came to the counter to try and get your number. You could hear Muffet's laughter from the back as you kept turning them down. One after the other.

You moved around the store effortlessly, and Muffet's eyes were occasionally cast in your direction to make sure you were doing alright. You would only give her a smile and a thumbs up, letting her know you were doing fine. Even if was your first day in the store, it wasn't your first day in customer service.

You're only rotten customer was someone Muffet ended up having to deal with. She had come in with three children and each one was coated in something that resembled Cheeto crumbs and powder from doughnuts. You tried to tell the woman to keep an eye on her brood, only to be met with the classic “don't tell me how to raise my children” line.

The children were spreading their nasty fingers all over the clothes and fabrics, which Muffet noticed right away. After making sure it was okay to leave the woman to gaze happily at her wedding dress, she had stepped out to take care of business.

Only to promptly scare the children right from her store. You only leaned on the counter and grinned, chin in your hand as you watched them tremble, scared out of their mind, at the spider monster confronting their mother. You felt like an asshole for it, but they deserved it for trashing a good portion of the clothes on the racks. Not to mention the fabrics that some old lady was looking at sadly now.

The rest of the day went by swimmingly. At the end of it, you grabbed your coat and hat, placing the latter on your head. On your way out of the back room to where the spider woman was waiting by the front door, you threw on your coat, huffing as the cold hit you like a brick.

“Fuck, it's cold,” you mumbled, burying yourself into your coat.

“Ahuhuhu, you don't have to worry about that long, dearie~.”

You looked over to where two of her arms were pointing and sighed gratefully. Edge was waiting in his fancy black car, the lights dimmed in the encroaching darkness. After her telling you that you had the next two days off to rest your feet (despite your protests that you were fine), you waved goodbye and jogged to the car. Once he unlocked the doors, you slid into the leather seats, closing the door behind you and shivered for a moment.

“ARE YOU STILL COLD?” he asked.

“I'll warm up in a moment,” you murmured. “It's freezing out there.”

He merely hummed and started the car. Once the two of you were on the road, you sighed, taking off your hat and running a hand through your hair. It was definitely nice being back to work and getting into the swing of things.

It took you a few moments, but you finally realized that you weren't heading back to the house. Instead, you were driving down the highway now, just getting off on a ramp one city over. You looked over Edge, who kept both sockets on the road.

“Where are we going?” you asked.

“IT'S A SURPRISE,” was the only thing he said.

There was a slight dusting of ruby across his cheekbones and above his nasal cavity. You hid a smile behind your hand as he drove you through the city. You'd been around the city, sure. That's where the Silver Ale was at. But he was heading further into the city, where the lights grew brighter, and the signs were a bit flashier.

You looked around in wonder. You had never really been out this far, and you blew out a breath through your nose as you glanced around. He pulled into a parking lot of a restaurant that you remembered something about. You glanced over to him as he parked, turning the car off and getting out. You looked between his form coming around your side of the car and to the restaurant once more before looking down at your clothes.

He was kidding right? You were in no way dressed for this kind of occasion! The door opened and he held out a hand for you. You hesitantly took it, but you noticed in his other hand he held plastic bag. You didn't get a good look inside of it as he helped you from the car and shut the door for you, heading to the entrance.

“Edge?”

He didn't answer, but ushered you into the warm building. You looked around, your mouth forming an “o” of wonder. You remember one time coming here when you had been a child. But some things had changed, like the fact there were now monsters working under its roof. A bunny monster dressed sharply hopped your way. When her eyes landed on Edge, those bright green eyes of hers shined brighter. Until they landed on you.

Before the rabbit could get anything out, Edge held up a single gloved digit. It was then you took in his outfit. He was dressed rather sharply in a black suit. Much like his brother, the accents were red, crimson against black and white. His gloves were still on, and his tattered scarf was as well. But you rather liked how he always had those on. It was like his trademark. Something you admired him for.

He turned to you, holding out the bag. “GO GET CHANGED, Y/N,” he said gruffly. “I WILL AWAIT YOU HERE UNTIL YOU RETURN.”

You slowly took the bag, nodded and turned away to head toward the bathroom. Once you were in there, you took in the white tiled space, the marble counter top and porcelain sink and you sighed. You went into one of the stalls and shut and locked it, hanging the bag up on one of the hooks and looking inside of it.

You pulled out the red fabric, feeling it move between your fingers. You smiled as you pulled it out the rest of the way, looking it over. Red in color, it was knee length in the front and flowed down a little more in the back. There was a halter neckline, a button holding the back of it together. It didn't show off any kind of cleavage, and the bodice had a layer over the silk, covered in roses and red vines. You trailed your fingers over it for a moment before you shoved it back in the bag.

You got undressed quickly, carefully putting on the dress. You took a moment to make sure the top of the dress was buttoned, muttering at how difficult it was. You peeked into the bag and noticed a pair of skin colored stockings and a pair of black pumps. Eyes shining, you quickly finished the ensemble, letting the heel of one shoe click in the quiet bathroom once before you shoved your work stuff into the bag.

Once you were done, you left the stall and paused, taking in your form. The dress seemed to hug the curves of your body, even slightly enhancing the little bit of chub of your belly. You held your hand over it, frowning a little and trying to suck it in.

That didn't last long, and doubt started to creep into your mind. Your hair was a mess, and you didn't have on makeup. You didn't have any with you; you rarely ever wore it anyway. Would this be up to Edge's standards? This was a last minute thing...

Deciding to just go with it, you straightened your bangs and fixed your hair as best as you could with your fingers. When you were done, you left the bathroom and headed back over to where Edge and the bunny monster were waiting.

Edge's eyelights snapped to you the second you stepped out of the bathroom. As you walked to him, you watched those lights move over your form, approval clear on his face. When he got back up to your face, he smirked, sending you a wink. Your face was as red as his magic when you came back to stand by his side.

He took the bag and your coat from you, handing them to a Loox monster beside you, watching as he moved to put them into the closet. The bunny monster said nothing as she grabbed some menus and motioned for the two of you to follow her. You stuck by Edge's side, listening to your heels clacking below you as the two of you were brought to the back of the restaurant.

Once seated, you slid into the booth across from him, tucking the dress underneath you from habit. He watched you, his eyelights flicking over his face as he waited for you to settle.

“Thank you,” you said when you finally crossed your ankles. “I...I wasn't expecting this.”

“That Ashtray Mentioned He Wanted To Get You, But Something Came Up In The Lab,” he said, waving a nonchalant hand. “So I Decided To Get You And Treat You.”

You raised a brow, leaning forward a little, but avoided putting your elbows on the table. Some habits just died hard.

“Or did you want to show off where you worked?” you asked teasingly.

He huffed, rolling his eyelights around in his skull. “As If. That Is Beneath Me. I Simply Wanted To Apologize On Mine And Sans's – Red's – Behalf For The Part We've Played In Welcoming The New Skeletons Of The House. Plus...This Is Me Asking You On A Date.”

You let a smile break through, tucking some hair behind your ear. “Can't ask if we're already on it, silly,” you said softly, feeling your face heat up a little more.

“Silly? You Could Have Asked To Go Home Anytime,” he rebutted.

“That's true,” you hummed. “But, well, I think it's only fair to go on a date with everyone, don't you think?” You gave him a wink.

He only smirked at you as a waiter came over. Once giving the order for wine and water, the waiter left swiftly, tucking his notepad in his apron. You looked back to see Edge was leaning over the table. You stifled a small squeak, eyes wide as he chuckled lowly.

“Do You Really Want To Know What I Think, Bunny?” he asked softly, his voice damn near a whisper.

You swallowed the lump forming your throat. “Uh...is it appropriate for a first date?” you asked weakly.

“Now, I Think We're Well Past All Of The Tomfoolery,” Egdge murmured. One of hands reached across the table to stroke your jaw, and you felt yourself flushing again. “In Fact, I Was Just Thinking That You Would Look Beautiful In A Collar.”

Jesus Christ, you were going to be redder than a fucking tomato when this date was over.

“Edge...”

“I Know, Bunny,” he said, moving his hand away. “Do Not Worry, I Will Not Push Your Boundaries Or Limits.”

You smiled weakly as the waiter came back over with said wine and water. You realized then that you hadn't even looked at the menu and you went to reach for it to pick something random before Edge's hand was on your own, fingers barely interlaced with each other. You glanced up at him as he mentioned something about lasagna for himself – which you totally should have seen coming – and then a pasta dish for you.

“They have something as basic as shrimp alfredo here?” you said, instantly perking up when the waiter walked away.

Edge rolled his eyelights again. “Calm Down. There's Actually Quite A Bit That Goes Into It Since Everything Is Handmade Here.”

Your eyes widened. “Even the sauce?”

He only nodded, and you were practically vibrating in your seat as he poured your wine for you. He looked over you as you gently took the glass, swirling it a little before taking a small sip. Like you had done it a hundred times before. Red had mentioned your family was loaded, but you barely talked about your family.

And color him surprised when he had learned you had brothers! After realizing you kept a lot of yourself tucked close to your chest, he had made it his mission to get to know you more. Not to mention that the eight main boys in the house were still wary about your soul.

Edge had been cutting something when the first crack resounded. Like the others, he had figured it wasn't anything, but maybe his imagination? But then the pain started, and the others were practically growling in pain when they called their respective brothers.

The four who had gone with you refuse to answer any questions about what happened, but when your mother was brought up, each of them had the same reaction. Flared magic in their sockets and the creaking of clenched teeth. But they instantly told the others is was nothing to worry about.

Your soul was still cracked. Everyone knew it, and could see it. With the strain of not only your family's Thanksgiving, but the arrival of the new skeletons and the tensions that followed, it was healing so slowly. It worried Edge to no extent.

“Papyrus?”

The sound of his actual name snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in. You watched him carefully as he cleared his throat – seriously, how did they do that? – and poured his own wine. He set the bottle back down, picking up his glass and doing the same thing you did before taking a small sip. When he out the cup back down, he sighed.

“I'm Sorry, Bunny.”

You raised a brow. “For what? You just spaced out for a moment. I do that all the time.”

He chuckled, “I'm Very Aware. But That's Not Why I'm Apologizing,:

“Alright, then why are you?”

“Bunny, What Happened At Thanksgiving?”

You tensed, but blew out a breath nonetheless. You glanced over at bottle of wine. You knew the question would pop up from one of the boys that hadn't been there. But you hadn't expected it to be Edge. Blueberry, maybe. Papyrus had asked in passing at one point, but with the tension in the house with Fresh and Zapfino, you hadn't been in the mood to answer.

You fiddled with the hem of your dress as you explained a summed up version. You knew you could trust him, and you knew you could trust all your boys. But reliving it in your mind, your tale took a toll on you. You could feel your heart clench. You paused once, when the food came, but continued when the waiter left.

Once you had finished your tale, Edge had completely bent the knife in his hand in half. You reached over, gently plucking it from his grip as he stared at you. But you didn't look up at him, didn't say anything in the silence that followed. You simply picked up your fork and shoved a bite of noodles and shrimp into your mouth.

A burst of flavor hit your tongue. Garlic and lemon sat on your taste buds from the shrimp and you could almost moan from the way the alfredo sauce tasted. Stars above and below, this was hands down the best shrimp alfredo you had ever had.

“You Really Are A Warrior.”

The words took you off guard and you almost choked on the bread stick you had shoved into your mouth. After taking a drink of your water, you put the cup down gently and used your napkin to wipe your mouth. When you felt like you were okay to talk, you finally looked up at him.

“I'm sorry?”

He huffed, cutting into a piece of his own food. “You Heard Me, I Know You Did.”

“Obviously, but I'd have to tell you, you're wrong.”

He glared a little, but there was no malice behind it. He chewed his food thoughtfully as he thought about what he was going to say.

“You Have Put Up With Many Things From Your Mother, From Your Family,” he finally said after a few moments. “And Yet, You Still Persist. You Still Look Forward And Carry Yourself With A Kindness I Did Not See In My Own Home.”

Sometimes, it was hard to remember that the majority of your boys came from other worlds. You hummed, using the spoon you had to help you get noodles on your fork before spearing into a piece of shrimp and shoving your food into your mouth.

“What was your universe like?” you finally asked, leaning an elbow on the table, because fuck manners.

You knew you were deflecting, but you weren't about to continue that line of conversation right now. If he noticed himself, he didn't mention it. Instead, he took a longer drink of his own wine, pausing to refill it before he placed the bottle down, cutting into his food once more.

“It Was Hell In The Underground,” he said bluntly. “Everything Here Was So Fluffy And Rainbows, Compared To What Sans And I Went Through. I Managed To At Least Make It Into The Royal Guard, And As A Second In Command, Nonetheless.”

“That's great, though. Isn't it?”

“You Would Think So,” he said softly. He took a bite of his own food, waiting to finish before he continued speaking, “But It Was The Only Way I Could Make Sure Sans And I Would Live To See Another Day. And Even Then, There Were A Few Occasions I Had To Dust Monsters For Merely Thinking They Could Close Enough To My Brother To Try And Dust Him For EXP.”

You frowned. “They wanted to dust him? But wouldn't be hard? I mean...everyone must've had high...hope?”

He only shook his head. “Bunny, I Wish That Had Been The Case. Most Sans – Or Sans Personalities – Only Have About One HP. Sleeping Can Extend It, But Their Base HP Is One. One Wrong Slap With Ill Intent, And You Could Dust Them Without A Second Thought.”

The very thought made you want to get sick on the table. You looked absolutely horrified, and you thought back to all the times where you had gotten mad at Sans for some reason or other. The way he would flinch when you were mad, or avoided you for a few days after saying you would smack the stupid out of him made more sense.

And he probably didn't tell you so you wouldn't feel bad, or feel this awful hurt you felt right now. You groaned.

“Christ, I could have done some damage,” you murmured to yourself.

“I Understand Why You Would Want To,” Edge snorted. “The Little Shit Tends To Act Too Big For His Own Britches.”

You gave a small giggle. He told you some more stories from his time in his universe. About how he came to be second in command and how he had conquered Snowdin with an iron fist. It had been his territory to look after, and he told you about their version of Frisk. How she was such a small, mousy thing that just wanted to show them mercy and go home.

“Did you ever make it to the surface?” you asked, finishing the last bite of you food.

“We Did, In Fact. Sans Had A Stern Talking To The Child About Something, But I Cannot Recall What,” Edge sighed. “But We Had Only Been On The Surface For Six Months Before Being Brought Here.”

Your eyes widened. “Just how long have you been here?”

“Sans And I Have Been Here For At Least Four Years Now.”

You frowned. “That's a long time, Paps. Do you...do you miss it?”

Edge didn't even flinch as he put down his forked and the knife he had taken from you. Once they were on his plate and his wine cup was empty, he finally answered.

“No, I Can't Say That I Do. I Do Miss Frisk. But More Often Than Not, I'm Happy Sans And I Are Here.”

“Why?”

“Because He Can Relax. His Nightmares About Me Dusting Are Not As Often.”

It was then the waiter came with the check and the two of you got up from your seats. You went to the front of the building, Edge going off to pay for the meal while you got your coat and bag from the closet. The Loox gave a small, awkward bow before shuffling off to go find something else to do.

You couldn't get it out of your mind that Red had nightmares just like Sans did. You shouldn't be too surprised. But you were definitely going to have to keep an ear out for Red now. Maybe all of the Sans and their personalities. You sighed, shaking your head as Edge came back over to you. You took the arm he offered, smiling up at him, as the two of you made your way out of the restaurant.

The way home was still filled with some talking. You told him some of your favorite childhood memories, and he told you some stories he was able to have on his surface. You chuckled as he told you that Mettaton, it seemed, had a passion for human attention no matter the universe he was in.

When you finally pulled up to the driveway, you saw Red was outside smoking. He gave a small wave, stubbing out his cigarette and disappearing inside, probably to tell everyone you were home. When you went to get out of the car, a hand on your arm made you pause.

You looked over to Edge had gotten close. You breath hitched for only a moment before he closed the distance with you.

Teeth on lips, his hand moved from your arm to your cheek. You tilted your face against it, eyes closing automatically as you breathed out through your nose. A little whimper escaped your throat as you clung to the front of his suit jacket. The smell of cinnamon wrapped around you.

His other hand traveled through your hair and gave a slight tug. A little whine, and you felt him smirking against your mouth. You pulled away, sucking in a little bit of air as you grinned at him. He grinned back at you, you panting as you looked into those crimson eyelights.

“Thanks for the night out, Edge,” you murmured.

“Thank You For Accompanying Me, Bunny,” he said softly, giving you one more kiss against your mouth before pulling away.

Once you were inside, the boys were down your throat about where you had been. Edge kept his haughty air about him, and you gave them the story that Edge had taken you out to woo you the best. The others believed it from the get go, and Red gave you a wink. Edge only murmured a “thank you” as you passed by him to head upstairs to your room.

That night, you slept soundly.

–

The days following were nice and quiet. You hung out with Fresh and Zapfino for a while, went to work with Muffet, or had some kind of quality time with your boys. You and Sans had hashed out that Fresh and Zapfino were, in fact, platonic soulmates, which put your mind at ease for a while.

Hang outs with them were easy. You all just read, or listened to music while making small talk. You had invited them out to see you sing, which had made Zapfino shift uneasily. You assured her that they didn't have to sit through all the performances, but could in fact just pop in for yours then head out after.

Black and Zapfino kept their distance from one another. You noticed the sour looks they gave each other, and you winced when Zapfino made a move to grab something from the table one night and Black flinched a little. You sighed, rubbing your temples. You were really going to have to get those two to at least get on mutual grounds somehow.

You didn't think you could handle a destroyed room a third time.

Today, you were slow to wake up. It was brighter outside than you thought it would be. You were sitting up slowly, rubbing the sleep from your eyes when your door was busted down. You screeched, and you glanced over to see that Crooks had powered through the wooden barricade to excitedly hop from foot to foot, pointing at your windows.

“COOKIE! COOKIE, GO LOOK OUTSIDE! IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT!”

Your eyes wide, you threw the covers off of you, running for your window and pressing your face against the cold glass. You gasped, your breath fogging on the window.

Indeed, there was a thick, fluffy whiteness all around the house. There was no green showing from the grass around for as far as your eye could see. You started bouncing on your feet, quickly turning away from the windows to go into your closet and pull out one of your thicker sweaters and changing in closet, mindful of the skeleton still bouncing around excitedly in your room.

You quickly grabbed a pair of jeans that you didn't care much about, you changed into them before you snagged your snow boots from the closet as you left it. Crooks snagged your hand and the two of you barreled your way downstairs like excited children.

The others were moving around and gathered downstairs. But as you sat in a chair in the dining room, you noticed a distinct lack of loudness coming from three very excitable house skeletons. You grinned as you tucked your jeans in your boots as Crooks brought over your coat. You tugged it on but before you could get another foot forward, you were stopped by a hand on your arm.

You looked up to see Edge, but he didn't say anything as red covered your eyes. You blinked as your vision was cleared and you felt him winding something around your neck twice before tucking some of it into the back of your coat.

You looked down when he stepped away. His scarf, you realized. He had given you his scarf to wear. You touched the tattered fabric and smiled up at him. In a bold move, you grabbed the tall skeleton by the front of his short. You yanked him down to your level and planted a loud kiss on his cheekbone before letting him go and letting Crooks drag you away.

There was a lot of noise after that, and a lot of the boys were laughing or hooting. You even heard a slightly girlish chuckle coming from Zapfino, who had been sitting beside Fresh while drinking something in a delicate cup. Her mask was in place, and her showing, green eyelight was on you. You gave her a quick wave before heading out into the cold.

The snow crunched under your boots as you and Crooks made your way the porch steps. You heard laughter and talking, looking over to see Tango, Blue and Papyrus all making snow skeletons. In fact, those snow skeletons looked an awful lot like them. You hid a smile behind your hand as Crooks bounded over to join them.

You noticed with some kind of glee that since you started living here, the others had slowly grown closer to Crooks. And you didn't miss the way Axe and Stretch would exchange jokes, or the way Edge would help Crooks with something in the kitchen while they were cooking something for the family.

It made your soul scream in happiness and your heart flutter.

You ran over to join them, only you ended up tripping over something in the process. You landed with a grunt in the snow, shaking it out of your hair as you looked over. Stretch was lying on a giant mound of snow, lazily smoking a cigarette. His half lidded eyes must have been closed, as he peeked one open.

“damn, honey,” he drawled. “didn't think ya'd already _fallen_ for me.”

You stood up, brushing off some of the snow from your front. “I didn't think so either, but thanks for the nice _trip_ on the way _down_.”

He chuckled while you heard groans from behind you. You looked over to see the others shaking their heads at you. You only grinned and jogged over to them.

“Whatcha guys got goin' on over here?” you asked, looking at the different Papyrus's and the single Sans that decorated the front lawn.

“WE MADE US, BUT AS SNOWMEN!” Papyrus said happily.

You took a moment to look at the three snowmen in front of you. They definitely looked like the skeletons who made them. They even wore snow scarves and gloves to complete the look. You noticed Blue's even had stars in its sockets, staring up at you with excited wonderment. You smiled.

“PAPY! WHERE'S YOURS!”

You looked over to see Blue standing over his brother, hands on his hip bones while he stared down at the smoking skeleton. Orange smoke trailed from the sides of his mandible as he looked up at his brother with one, hooded socket.

“it's right here, bro,” Stretch said.

“IT'S A LUMP OF SNOW!”

“i know.”

Blue threw his hands up in exasperation. You laughed, your breath puffing in front of you in wisps of clouds. Suddenly, red gloves encased your hands and you looked up to see Tango looking at your fingers with worry. He looked over them for only a moment before he let go, pulling off his own gloves. Then, with quick efficiency you'd only give to a Papyrus personality, he put them on your own hands.

They were warm, and the smell of roses greeted you. They also dwarfed your hands and you had to adjust them a little so they fit over your coat. But it was fine with you. Now you could do what you had been planning, and you already had your first target.

You winked at the others and held a finger to your lips as you bent down to scoop up some snow. The others were giggling or snickering. It took you a moment to shape it properly, getting some of the snow off while you shaped it into a ball. When you drew your arm back and took aim, you gave out a bark of laughter before you threw it.

“HAVE YOU PEONS SEEN – _WHAT THE FUCK_.”

Your gasp was muffled by your hands flying over your mouth. Blackberry had literally come from nowhere, stepping out of the wooded area beside all of you and stepped in front of Blue. Right in front of where you wanted your snowball to go. He had just so happened to be looking over...

And the snowball was now falling apart in his eye socket.

Everyone stood stock still, and you heard snickering behind Blue. You saw a stubbed out cigarette butt in the snow, Stretch's arm thrown over his eye sockets while little _snrks_ and snickers slipped from his teeth. The others seemed to back away slowly, and you felt a little pang of adrenaline rearing to go.

There was a chuckle, and you looked back to black as he wiped off a thing of snow from his cheekbone. His eyelights flicked to you, though one of them was fading in and out from having snow lodged into it. You took a step back as he gave another low chuckle.

“Uh, hey, look...”

“Now, Pet,” he said, holding his arm out, hand open. His whip formed, long and tapering into a point.

“Hey, uh, buddy, that's wasn't even for you – _shit_!”

You managed to dodge his whip just in time, laughing as you turned tail and dove heard first into the forest. You were laughing loudly, and you knew he'd find you from that alone. But you could hear the playfulness in his voice as he called your name. Your feet crunched in the snow and you scooped up more snow on your way over a log, veering right so you didn't get too far away from the house.

You shaped the snow into another ball, turning on your heel and hurling it once more. Black was, amazingly, almost right behind you. This one caught him on his shirt, plopping into the ground below as you turned and ran again.

You didn't miss the way his eyelights had changed into baby blue stars in his sockets while he flicked his whip toward you playfully.

You dove out of the woods again, laughing and taking more snow. Black followed right behind you, but before you could grab more snow to throw he grabbed your wrist with his whip and brought you close. You laughed and tried to push away, but his whip disappeared, shimmering away as he gathered you to him.

“Caught You,” he murmured.

You only scoffed. “Only because I let you!”

He chuckled, shaking his head. You wiggled in his hold, waiting for him to let you go. Once you did, you ran back to the front of the house, where all the boys were happy to see you fine and dandy. Axe had joined now, standing next to his brother as he poked at one of the skeleton snowmen. You hid behind him, giggling as Black continued to follow you.

“It was really an accident!” you laughed. “I'm sorry!”

“Quit Being A Brat And Get Over Here!” Black snapped jokingly.

“No!”

You ran away from Axe, listening to the others laugh while snow crunched under your feet. You grabbed more snow and formed it into a ball, throwing it.

Now only to land in Axe's broken socket.

You gaped as he tensed, his hands twitching in his pockets. His skull slowly tilted to the side, causing some of the snow to fall out of his socket. You held up your hands as his grin stretched, almost manic. His single red pupil shrunk in his skull as he stared at you, his hands coming out of his pockets.

“Axe...”

“that was so _cold_ of you, sparrow.”

You shrieked as he appeared next to you, snowball in hand and ready to throw it. You ducked away in ran away, heading for the others, who made way for you to dive once more into the woods. You could feel the shift in the air as Axe teleported short distances to where you were running to.

A snowball flew past you and you let out a squeal, turning to a sharp left this time. Your laughter rang in the woods around you as Axe called out for you.

“c'mon, sparrow,” Axe called from somewhere to your right.

A shift in the air and you knew he had teleported again. You somehow managed to dodge yet another snowball, laughter ringing as you moved around a tree and moved off to turn right.

“there's no need to run, _ice_ no reason to!”

His manical laughter should have sent fear crawling down your spine, even as you saw him off to your left now, maw open as he laughed. You yelped as a snowball landed at your feet. You bolted off again, right out of the woods and into Blue. You hid behind him, laugh almost louder than Axe's as he appeared in front of Blue.

“WHAT IN TORIEL'S NAME IS GOING ON OUT HERE?”

You looked over to see that the others were brought out of the house. They all stood there while Stretch was now outright laughing and hooting from what had gone on. You sent him a glare as you stuck to your guard in front of you. Blue was taking his role serious in guarding you, and you laughed as Axe merely shrugged.

But his eyelight zeroed in on you, sockets narrowed playfully as he gave a slow wink with his broken socket, the snow now all melted out of it.

“IT SEEMS OUR LITTLE MATE HERE HAS DECIDED TO INITIATE SNOW WARFARE,” Black said, amused as he watched you slowly creep around from behind Blue.

“I'm not initiating warfare. You just got in my way,” you said, huffing.

“OH, STOP BEING SUCH A CHILD,” Edge said, shaking his head. “COME INSIDE AND GET WARM!”

You glared at him, narrowing your eyes as you bent down to scoop more snow into your hands. Only a couple of them seemed to catch on and started inching away as you chuckled.

“C'mon, Edge...there's no need to be...”

You threw the snowball, watching it land on his sternum.

“...a t _snow_ dere!”

Everyone was laughing as Edge watched the snowball fall back into the snow. He slowly rose his head to stare at you. You fidgeted cheekily under his glower, kicking the snow under your feet with a small grin and a wink. With a tiny screech, he started toward you.

You let out a panicked yelp and turned to head toward a tree.

“GET BACK HERE, YOU – YOU LITTLE _MINX_!”

You cackled as you started hoisting yourself up, quickly climbing the branches like you used to when you were a child. You glanced down to see Edge had created a snowball and was now aiming right for where you had perched yourself on the sturdiest branch where you were settled.

You managed to dodge it as it flew by. Your yelp was heard. You decided, since these boys were teasing you, you were going to have to tease them back.

“Daddy, help me!”

You could have laughed as Black, Red, Blue, Axe and Stretch stepped forward without thinking about their actions. When they realized what they did, you wheezed with laughter as they glared up at you. Each one of them was thinking in their minds how they were definitely going to get you back for that low move.

You didn't see the snowball Blue threw until it was already on your coat, throwing you off balance. You choked on your laughter, now swinging down from the tree as you grabbed snow from the ground, dodging a snowball coated in red magic from Red as you chucked your snowball at Sans. The lazy skeleton dodged it easily and you squealed as you were picked up from behind and thrown over a shoulder. Judging from the height and the red ascot, Tango had hefted you up.

“TAKE COVER!”

The group seemed to split off and you chuckled as you watched the louder skeletons take off with you, Edge and Black following close behind. The lazier of the skeletons were hiding, quite horrible, behind the lump of snow that Stretch had “built”.

You landed on someone's lap as you were dropped and Blue wrapped his arms around your waist. You poked your head over the top of the wall of snow Edge and Papyrus had quickly built up with their magic. But you quickly ducked back down when a slew of snowballs whizzed right by your head.

“You want war?” you called over to them. “Then you can have war!”

You looked over to see Tango, Edge and Papyrus putting snowballs together quickly and handing them off to you, Black, Crooks and Blue before starting to put them off to the side. You looked over and threw, not even bothering to aim which had Black reprimanding you. You cooed at him, which caused his face to flush his magic color before he took his own aim.

Snowballs whizzed by between the two forts. They had used their own magic to turn the “statue” into a wall of their own. You laughed as you were pelted a couple of times, Blue crying out that “THE FAIR MAIDEN HAS BEEN STRUCK!” and watching as he and Black continued their assault ten fold. Edge joined in at some point, muttering about how the other two had control of the snowballs.

You didn't even call quits. Edge did, noticing you shivering as the cold seeped in through your clothes. He picked you up from where you had settled next to Black, adjusting the two of you so you were hanging off his back like a little monkey. He hooked his arms under your knees, and you wrapped your arms around him until they were resting against his collarbones.

They got you inside and you dragged yourself upstairs to shower and change. When you came back down, you were shoved into the living room, where one of the boys had put on Netflix. You cuddled up next to Stretch, your legs thrown over Black's. Mutt was at your feet, and your hand pet over his skull a few times as you slow drifted off into a little nap along with some of your lazier boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readz: *instigates a fight*  
> Readz: "help me daddy!"  
>  _boys come running to help before pausing and realizing they were caught_  
>  Readz: *chuckling at their glares* i'm in danger.


	30. About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black and Mutt take you on a date.  
> Black and Zapfino fight _again_.  
> There's an issue at the lab... _again_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man. I've been procrastinating with this all damn day. I've been watching rSlash and Markiplier because why the fuck not. xD
> 
> I have one _hell_ of a surprise for you next chapter, and only one person knows what it is. Not even Echo knows, and I tell her basically everything. ^~^;
> 
> With that, let's get this show on the road.
> 
> Follow my Tumblr?  
> [This Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster & Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [Siren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab work:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and I. (:
> 
> ALSO!  
> There's a Discord server now for ASoF! Come and join the madness! ^~^;  
> [Join us here!](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

_His energy never failed to amaze you. You watched as he dragged you all over the fair, doing this game and riding that ride. You felt horrible, since he never got to experience the surface. His purple bandanna fluttered in the wind, and you could see the nicks and divots in his bones. You reached out to hug him to you, even if you were the one needing comfort. But it faded to black before you could get him, purple eyelights staring up at you._

_Yellowed bones encompassed you, holding you close to his sternum. Your back was to his front, and you huffed out a breath as you waved away the drifting, violet smoke that was in the air. It wasn't the same as a dog treat, but it was still familiar. You chuckled at something they said, turning to look at them in their one working eyelight. Your finger reached out trace the eyepatch they wore before you were pulled away once more._

–

You sat up in bed, rubbing a hand over your eyes as you took a look around. It had been a few days since the snowball fight. The boys had all ended up falling asleep around you at some point, mugs of hot chocolate forgotten as the adrenaline wore off.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and glanced around the room. There was still a bright light coming through your window from the sun above hitting the snow. You sighed, throwing the covers off of you. When you stood, you stretched your arms over you head, feeling your spine pop in a few different places. Once you were done, you grabbed your phone, unlocking it and heading for the messages.

You blinked slowly, frowning a little as you opened up Blackberry's message.

**Tyrant:** PET! IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE TODAY, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD COME BY MY HOME AND DO THIS “HANGING OUT” WITH MY BROTHER AND I!

Well, you did promise him you would spend some time with just him and his brother at some point. It would also give you a chance to learn more about their universe.

You hummed, sending him a text message, letting him know that you would start getting ready since you just woke up. You set your phone down, heading over to your closet to grab a red sweater and back over to your dresser for a pair of socks, underwear and leggings.

You went into the bathroom, taking a quick shower to wash your hair and scrub your body down. Once you were done and you got out of the bathroom, you wrapped your hair in a towel and wrapped another around your body before going back into your room.

The smell of barbecue and hickory was your only warning as you picked up a bobble head and turned, chucking it toward Mutt right as he managed to duck out of the way. You threw your hands up in the air as he bent down to retrieve it from where it had landed on the floor.

“Privacy!” you groaned. “Privacy is a thing, bondmate or not! I'm about to bury your bones in the backyard!”

“promise?”

You let out an aggravated groan, turning to try and grab for something else. Mutt's hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. You tried pulling away, grunting and keeping a hand on your towel around your body. There was no way you were letting it fall off now.

When he finally let your hand go, you sighed. “Can you at least turn around so I can get dressed?”

He did as you asked, his smirk apparent as he chuckled. You glared at his back for a moment, watching him head over to his window and look out of it. You went to your bed, pulling on your underwear and leggings first before you tugged on your socks. You kept your eyes on him, narrowed, as you quickly took off the towel, putting your bra on and then your sweater.

Once you had finagled that over your head, you said, “You're good.”

He turned back to you, amber eyelights roving over your form before you turned, taking your hair out of the towel. You hung both towels up in the bathroom, grabbing the hair dryer out from under the sink were you kept it. When you came back up, your heart lurched into your throat as your eyes locked on Mutt behind you.

“Christ on a biscuit, stop sneaking up on me!” you breathed out, elbowing him in his ribs.

He didn't say anything, but he did reach his hand out, running his phalanges through your hair. Slight panic rose within you for a moment.

The first and only time Sans did that, his phalanges got caught in your hair and it took fifteen minutes to get your hair out from between the magical joints. You went to take your hair back, but he took your other wrist in his hand as his digits carefully moved through your hair. He seemed to be watching where the hair went, almost like he weighing it in his hands.

“does your hair always retain water?” he murmured, his eyelights flashing a little.

You slowly nodded. “Yeah. Hair is super absorbent, so it tends to hold the water when I wash my hair or go swimming or something.”

He gave a little hum, and you watched as this giant skeleton in front of you became solely fascinated with your hair. You giggled, taking your hair back and grabbing your hairbrush. You ran it through, growling at the knots in your hair.

The entire time, his eyelights never left the way your hands worked with your hair. Even when the hair dryer came on, he kept slipping his phalanges through your hair. You fought off the smile you felt coming, trying to remember that he didn't know what the hell personal space or privacy was.

When you were done, you turned to him, narrowing your eyes and he seemed to shrink back. It reminded you of a kicked puppy, like he was about to get punished or something. You winced, sighing.

“Knock next time, or let me know you're in my room if I'm in the bathroom,” you told him softly, snagging your phone from where you'd laid it. You looked back to him, smiling a little and holding out your hand. “Now come on. I think your brother is waiting for us.”

Mutt chuckled, nodding slowly. He gathered you to him, and you buried your face in his fluffy sweater as the world around you vanished, your feet floating for mere seconds. When you were brought back to solid ground, the sounds of banging pots and pans greeted you. You pulled yourself away from Mutt, giving him a loving pat on the cheek before heading into the kitchen.

“Sorry I took a little longer than usual,” you said. “What are the plans for the day?”

Black swiveled on his heel to face you, and baby blue eyelights looked up at you. They were shining bright, and you had to hold back the coo you had. You knew you needed to really get to all of your mates and do things with them before they started foaming at the mouth.

“TODAY, I HAVE DECIDED WE SHALL GO FOR A LITTLE PICNIC!” Black said happily, turning back to where there was a picnic basket on his counter. “THE MUTT SHALL ALSO BE COMING WITH US.”

You chuckled a little. “Alright, Black. It's yours and Mutt's day. You decide what we do – no, Mutt, _within reason_!”

You laughed as he wrapped his arms around your waist, groaning about how you were no fun. You tried turning in his hold to push him off of you, saying you were going to try and help Black pack the basket. But Mutt was having none of that, slowly dragging you from the kitchen despite your protests. Your laughter filled the house.

You missed the look the boys shared. How longing their gazes were.

Mutt picked you up by your waist, grunting a little as Blackberry continued packing things away into the basket. Your laughter was squealing as you kicked your feet, hitting his back as you demanded he put you down.

“I swear to the stars above and below, Mutt!” you laughed.

“'re ya sure about that, darlin'?”

The name change almost threw you for a loop. You didn't let it show though, opting to hit his back a few more times. Black watched from the kitchen, brow bone raised as he watched you beat on his brother. And shockingly, his brother took it. The little cur was even smiling?

Black felt his soul flutter happily before he cleared his throat.

You looked over and dropped a little. “Alright. So. Where are we going for this picnic? It's fuckin' cold outside so I should grab my jacket–”

“NO NEED FOR THAT, MY PET!” Black said, smug grin forming on his teeth. “MUTT AND I HAVE IT ALL TAKEN CARE OF. MUTT?”

The tall skeleton didn't even put you back on your feet, instead gripping onto Black's shoulder instead. You groaned, but you buried your face into the hoodie within your reach anyway, shutting your eyes as the air seemed to shift around you.

You didn't get to feel the ground leave your feet, but when you felt the warmth of somewhere wash over you and the sounds of birds, you opened your eyes. You moved your face away from Mutt's hoodie and gasped a little at the sight around you as he slowly lowered you to your feet.

It was a botanist's dream. The greenhouse you were in was decorated with colorful flowers and the huge, vaulted ceiling helped to house some trees. There was a fountain nearby where you had landed. You could see a butterfly or two flitting around in the place and you let your wonder show on your face.

“How?”

“a coworker of m'lord's found this place, and through careful planning and such, learned they make a little money on the side from doing stuff like this,” Mutt said, motioning between the three of you. “they're nice people, an' they had no problems renting out their greenhouse for an hour or two for m'lord and i to be with you alone.”

Black had already been setting up as Mutt was talking. He laid out a blanket, setting the picnic basket down on top of it. He reached in as you quickly took off your boots, moving to sit on the blanket between the two of them.

He brought out a whole assortment of things. Plastic plates, cups and silverware. Then there were some sandwiches, potato salad, chips. A bottle of barbecue was snatched from Black's hand before it could even touch the blanket. You rolled your eyes as he proceeded to pull out a two liter of your favorite pop and some wine for himself. There were also some carrots and cucumber slices. He pulled out a few more condiments for you to choose from.

“How did you fit all of that in there?” you asked, eyebrows high.

Black only chuckled. “MAGIC, OF COURSE.”

Of course.

The three of you set about making your plates. You wrinkled your nose in distaste as Mutt dunked half of a carrot into a huge glob of barbecue sauce before tossing it between his fangs. You watched as he actually even chewed and swallowed it. You playfully gagged, earning you a knowing look from the shorter brother.

“So where do you work, exactly?” you asked Black after everyone had gotten their food. “Cause I don't think I've seen you around Ebott. I would remember seeing a sharp Sans around.”

Black only chuckled, using a napkin to wipe a bit of mayonnaise off of the corner of his fangs. “OF COURSE NOT, PET!” he said. “CLASSIC DIDN'T WANT US TO BE SPOTTED BY A LOT OF HIS FRIENDS. AT LEAST, AT FIRST.”

You raised a brow. “Lemme guess. Everyone was dumb enough to fall for the whole 'cousins' thing?”

“not everyone,” Mutt corrected. “the queen knew right away something was amiss and cornered classic about it. pretty sure it was edge or blue who ratted him out almost immediately.”

You hummed. You'd only met the queen once, at the Halloween party, but she and those kids of hers seemed pretty cool. You took another bite of your food, chewing slowly while you nodded your head. You could definitely see Edge's temper letting loose, or Blue's confusion completely ratting him out.

“That...doesn't actually surprise me,” you said, chuckling a little. “When did you guys come here? I know that Rus told me before that everyone came here at different times.”

“THAT'S RIGHT, PET!” Black nodded. “WE CAME HERE A FEW MONTHS AFTER BLUE AND STRETCH.”

“m'lord and the edgelord didn't get along too well,” Mutt said, licking barbecue sauce from his fangs.

“I would imagine not!” you huffed. “Whether you want to believe it or not, you and Edge have the same type of personality.”

Black cut his eyelights to you, swallowing the bite of potato he had in his mouth before he asked, “IS THAT SO?”

You nodded, taking a carrot. “It is. You both are hardheaded jackasses who think they're owed something. Or entitled to everything they set their sights on. _But_ –” You held up a finger when Black's maw opened. “–you also both have a caring soul within you. You don't show it to others, because you think it's a weakness.”

Both Mutt and Blackberry looked at each other, each blinking slowly before looking back at you. You chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of your neck. You knew Black didn't like being compared to any one of his clones, but hated it more when he was compared to Edge. You just had to say it, since it'd been eating at you.

You had seen it numerous times in your stay at the skeleton household. You would watch some of them interact and realize just how similar they really were. It made you remember when you had first suspected the were the same people, just different...variants. You mentally shook yourself as Blackberry let out a low chuckle.

“You Would Be Most Correct, Pet,” he said softly, taking a sip of his wine. “While I Would Be Hesitant – And Angry – You Pointed It Out, You Know Us Well Enough.”

You shrugged. “I don't know you all that well. I don't know what your universe was like, or how you became captain of the royal guard, or why Mutt over here calls you 'm'lord'–”

Mutt was laughing as you continued talking. Blackberry took a gloved hand, holding his face in it while he shook his head. At some point, he moved his hand, placing one digit over your lips in an attempt to silence you. You jerked head back a little in shock and you looked up at him as he seemed to loom over you.

“One Question At A Time, And I Will Answer Them To The Best Of My Abilities,” he laughed, his eyelights flashing with mirth.

Your face flushed as Mutt chuckled. While you thought over what you wanted to say, Mutt brought you closer to him, picking you up a little to place you on his lap. You didn't comment, but you were gonna have to see what he was thinking about when he did this with you.

Instead, you listened as Black told you of his journey to the top of the Royal Guard in his universe. You listened intently and hummed along, chewing on cucumber slices and carrots while he regaled you with many stories. All of which Mutt backed up with lazy nods. You felt the taller skeleton's jaw on you.

“You better not be sleeping on me,” you said.

“'m not,” he grumbled above you. “jus' closin' my sockets for a bit.”

“Lazy Cur,” Black mumbled.

“Why do you call him stuff like that?” you asked him. “Mutt, dog, cur...you always degrade him in some way.”

“it's not that he's degrading me with ill intentions,” Mutt murmured above you. “it has more to do with what we went through underground.”

“What did you guys go through?” you asked. “I don't know anything about your universe or timeline or whatever.”

Mutt chuckled, his arms wrapping around your waist and holding you in place. His jaw moved off the crown of your head, but he must have had to slouch a lot in order to place his mandible on your shoulder now. Black was refilling his wine.

“Our Underground Was A Lot Like Red's And Edge's,” Black said, taking a long drink from his glass. “It Was A Kill Or Be Killed World, And There Were No Friends Down There. Even If You Were Friends, You Would Eventually Get Stabbed In The Back.”

“m'lord went for the royal guard, as is common for most papyrus types,” Mutt hummed, his fingers drumming on your thigh. “but, unlike the others, and unlike edgelord, m'lord made it to the top.”

“Like what Undyne here is?” you asked, looking between the two.

“That's Right.” Black nodded, swirling the wine around in his cup a little. “I Made It To The Top...But It Wasn't What I Thought It Would Be.”

His voice was tight and you tilted your head. “Why not?”

“because m'lord had to defend more than just the townspeople from others,” Mutt murmured next to you. “people weren't happy he made captain; they wanted alphys back in charge. so they targeted me to get to him.”

Your eyes widened as you swiveled around as best as you could to look up at him. He didn't seem too put off by what he just said, but you could see Black shuffling in the corner of your eye. He looked saddened by the fact.

They were still Sans and Papyrus. They were still the brother duo that loved each other no matter the cost. But they had it harder, and couldn't show it like the classics, or Blue and Stretch. Your heart constricted a little, your hand on Mutt's as Black spoke. You turned back to face him.

“I Had To Gain Some Kind Of Control Over The Situation,” Black said, shrugging. He hid his grimace by taking a long drink of his wine. “And The Only Idea I Had Was To Treat My Own Brother Like Absolute Garbage.”

“it wasn't always so bad, m'lord,” Mutt said, shrugging.

“I'm so sorry,” you murmured. “So if everything was swapped for you, who was everyone in your timeline?”

“It's Similar To Blue And Stretch's Timeline,” he explained. “Everything Was Swapped, As You Pointed Out.”

“asgore was the one i would pun with – he was in th' ruins,” Mutt hummed, “and toriel was the queen to fear.”

You scowled a little. “So the two of you are like Edge and Red, but like Blue and Stretch, too?”

“that's right, darlin'.”

“That's hella confusing.”

He chuckled and pulled you close to plant a kiss to your cheek. Your face flushed as you laughed, pushing him away as the lazier of the two peppered your face in kisses. Your squealing laughter brought a grin to Black's face as he drank the rest of his wine in one go.

He came up behind you, his own hands placed on your hips. You let the two of them adjust you as you rolled your eyes. They settled you on Black's lap and your legs on Mutt's. The three of you stayed like that, talking and learning. You learned Mutt willingly wore the collar, and Black loved to make people tremble under his name.

“he also had a bad habit of stepping on people who pissed him off,” Mutt hummed.

“Or The Ones Who Asked For It,” Black chuckled.

You opened your mouth to ask, but promptly shut it and shook your head. You were not going to approach that territory and you only laughed.

Black had his hands lazily wrapped around your waist and was tracing slow circles around your hips. Mutt was content just resting his elbows on your legs while you spoke, letting your hands wave around. You jumped when you felt your phone going off in your pocket.

You took it out, opening it quickly.

**AxeMeLater:** hey, sparrow, where are ya? paps wanted to see you for a bit today.

Black made a noise in the back of his throat. “Ugh. What Does That Cannibal Want?”

You looked over your shoulder, scowling a little. “Stop it. He and Crooks wanted to see me today. Is that so bad?”

“Yes! You're On A Date With My Malevolent Self!” Black grunted.

He plucked the phone from your fingers before you could type your reply back. You yelled out an indignant “hey!” as he handed the phone off to Mutt, who shut the phone off before shoving it into his pocket. You threw your hands up in exasperation.

“Come on!”

“you'll get it back when we're gettin' ready to leave,” Mutt said, shrugging.

You laughed, trying to fight your way out of Black's grip to snag Mutt's hoodie. But they anticipated it, with Black's hold tightening and Mutt moving away a little. Your laughter was caught on a choke of a shriek as you squealed in laughter. Black had found your tickle spot on your sides.

“Oh Ho, What's This?” he murmured, before wiggling his phalanges against your sides again with more pressure.

“N-no! Stop!” you squealed as your laughter grew louder. “S-Sans, please!”

He didn't stop his assault, and Mutt held you in place. You wheezed, begging both of them to give you a break. When you glanced up at Black, his soul thumped in his chest. Mutt looked like he struck the lottery when you glanced at him.

Your face was flushed and your eyes were bright, sparkling from the lights overhead. Your hair was slightly mussed and your chest was a heaving a little with deep breaths from laughing so hard. You weren't scared of them, and you weren't trying to run away from them. You were content with them, and you were enjoying their company.

You were enjoying them as Sans and Papyrus.

By the time you were packing your things up to go, your phone had turned into a mini vibrator. You let everyone know you were fine, once Mutt finally handed the phone back. Black gathered everything back into the picnic basket, and Mutt grabbed the blanket to roll back up. He tucked it under his arm as he gathered you close to him, his other hand on his brother.

You buried your face into Mutt's jacket as the world left you, leaving you feeling floaty for all of a mere second before the ground was under your feet again. When you pulled away, you weren't at home like you thought you would be. You were in another small cottage, much like the one Axe and Crooks lived in.

The living room you were in was tidy, a blanket thrown over the back of the couch and throw pillows lining the cushions. There was a chair off to the side with a lone end table beside it. There was a game console in front of a decent looking TV, and there was a rug under your feet that did little to keep the cold wood at bay.

Mutt released you and let go of Black, who went toward the room you figured was the kitchen. You smiled and looked around. It was homey, and the pictures of Black and Mutt were a nice touch. You guessed from their timeline, they didn't get to have stuff like this very often down there, if at all.

You sat on the couch, taking off your shoes and placing them next to you. Mutt plopped beside you, dramatically throwing himself across your lap when you tried to criss cross your legs. You laughed, trying to shove him off.

“Goddamnit, Mutt, why?”

“you're so comfy,” he whined, the “y” drawn out.

“You're like a giant child,” you huffed.

“HE REALLY IS!” Black muttered, coming back into the room.

He sat in the chair that was off to the side. Mutt reached over and grabbed a remote on the table in front of you. It flicked on to a cooking show, which had you smiling a little. Mutt sat up, shrugging off his hoodie and passing it over to you.

When you didn't take it, he sighed, pushing you forward slightly. You grunted, muttering a curse as he wrapped it around your shoulders. You swatted him as you righted yourself, leaning against him as your eyes went back to the TV.

The three of you stayed like that, watching TV and changing the channels depending on what played. You had changed your own position, practically on Mutt's lap with your head resting against his shoulder. He didn't comment on it, just wrapped an arm lazily around you. Black had moved from the chair to the couch, your legs now draped over his femurs.

A game show came on and you perked up. Mamaw loved her game shows, and while you didn't usually know the answers, you knew there were some questions you could get without an issue. You didn't move much; Mutt had a firm grip on your shoulders and Black readjusted your legs. You chuckled as the game show host started spouting off questions.

That started the three of you to ramble off the answers you thought were correct. Random knowledge was your forte, and you knew cooking was Black's. But, of course, all the science ones went to Mutt. He sent you a smug grin every time you got it wrong. You huffed, shoving him a little before going back to the game.

The sun outside was slowly falling below the horizon when Black finally got up from his seat, moving your legs so they were still on the couch before announcing he would start dinner. With that, he made his way out of the living room, leaving you and Mutt alone.

“I was wondering something,” you asked quietly.

“what's on your mind?”

“Did you guys ever get to the surface?” you asked, moving so you were laying across his femurs. Your gaze stayed on the ceiling, but you could see his amber eyelights were on you. “Like, I know a few of you guys made it. But I also know that Axe, Crooks and Dusty never did.”

Mutt seemed to think, leaning back and running his phalanges through your hair. There was a contemplative look on his face, as though he was thinking back to his own timeline.

“yeah, we did,” he finally said, looking back down at you. “we had just gotten to the surface, actually. was only there for maybe a month before we were ripped from our timeline.”

You frowned. They had just felt the sun for the first time a month before being torn into this universe. Where, to them, everything was soft and unfamiliar. Where Undyne wasn't a nerd who loved anime and was a creepy scientist, and where Alphys wasn't the second in command of the Royal Guard. Where Toriel had been the one to hide away in the ruins, and Asgore was still ruling.

It must have been one hell of a culture shock.

You and Mutt lapsed back into silence, watching Family Feud on the TV before Black called to the two of you that dinner was done. You got up, shrugging off Mutt's hoodie and going to hand it to him. Instead, he ignored you, heading for the kitchen and giving your head a small pat. You sighed, putting it back on over your shoulders and walking in after him.

The smell of burritos filled the room and you took in a deep breath, sighing as you sat at the table in there. Mutt stayed standing, leaning against the counter as Black gave you your plate first before serving his brother then himself.

As you cut into the first bite, you asked, “So I know how the others used to, uh, cook their stuff. How did you decorate your food?”

“I'M GOING TO IGNORE THOSE PUNS,” Black said, obvious amusement in his tone. “MUCH LIKE BLUE, I USED CRAFT OBJECTS. GLITTER, GLUE. THE WORKS.”

“you could say m'lord was _crafty_ with his imagination,” Mutt muttered into his food.

You almost choked on your food while Black seethed a little. As he berated his brother, you took another bite. The spices blended pretty well together, and you noticed there was something glittery in the meat. You paused, silently hoping it was edible glitter rather than craft glitter. You could already imagine the craft herpes decorating your toilet if you threw it up.

“IS IT TO YOUR LIKING?”

Black's voice brought you out of your thought process as you looked up at him. Even though he made it seem like an off handed compliment, you could see the hope shining in his wavering eyelights. You could see he was fighting trying not to let them change into baby blue stars. You gave him a smile and swallowed the bite of food.

“It's amazing, Black.”

Your head ducked back down, so you didn't see the way his eyelights turned into little, upside down hearts for the briefest moment. The three of you talked before Mutt turned to face you as the topic shifted.

“speakin' of animals, you're goin' to school for them, right?”

You nodded, wiping your mouth with a paper towel Mutt had given you. “That's right. My mom didn't want me to, but I always wanted to be a zoologist. I love animals, even if my allergies fight me on that.”

“ALLERGIES?”

“Yeah. I'm allergic to dander and stuff like that. When spring comes around, I'll be sneezing up a storm from all the pollen in the air,” you explained. “But I just...I love animals a lot. I would have had a pet, but my mother refused.”

“your mother sounds like a cunt.”

You chuckled, “That's what Edge says, too.”

Black huffed. “WHAT DID SHE WANT YOU TO DO BEFORE?”

You paused, scowling down at your plate. Both of them watched you. You sucked in a little breath, looking back up to smile at them.

“She wanted me to be a doctor,” you sighed. “She's made a big name for herself in the medical field, and she wanted to do the same for myself.”

“what is she?”

“She's a surgeon,” you said softly. “Highly respected, blah, blah, blah.” You waved a hand. “I don't mind blood and guts, but it just holds no interest for me.”

“AND WHAT, DID SHE EXPECT YOU TO RIDE HER COATTAILS TO THE TOP?” Black asked incredulously.

“That's exactly what she wanted,” you said, pointing your fork at him. Mutt had come to take your plate, only to bring it back with another burrito. You didn't comment on it as you cut into it. “She did it with my brothers, so why not do it with me?”

Black's nasal ridge scrunched up. “I HAVE NEVER MET YOUR BROTHERS, BUT THEY SOUND AWFUL.”

You winced, remembering bits and pieces of your childhood and teenage years. You sucked on your teeth for a second before putting on a smile and looking up. Neither of them looked convinced by the look, but they didn't comment on it, either.

“They weren't always,” you simply said.

By the time the three of you were done eating, Axe was blowing up your phone and Sans was making comments about you needing to come home to sleep for work tomorrow. You huffed, smiling as you pocketed your phone.

Mutt kept his hoodie on your shoulders as Black took you from the house. The second the door shut, Black's hand was in yours, the other behind his back in an easy manner as the two of you made the short trip through the woods back to the main house.

At the doorstep, he halted you by pulling on your hand a little. You paused, turning around and squeaked as his other arm banded itself around your waist, pulling you closer to him. The smell of blackberries practically encompassed you, his fangs right in front of your eyes. You glanced up into his eyelights.

His sockets were lidded as he leaned down, capturing your lips in a kiss. Your hand bunched into his shirt as hand still in his tightened a little. He seemed amused, a little chuckle escaping him as his head tilted and a thumb brushed along the skin the peeked through your shirt.

Your gasp had your lips parting, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth. Your whimper was swallowed as his tongue dominated yours. The hand on your hip tightened, and you could feel his claws digging into the flesh.

When he pulled back, he murmured, “Come Back With Me.”

You smiled up at him, a little grin on your lips. “I just got back from hanging out with you, Black.”

“No. I Mean...” He blew out a breath, the air fogging up in front of him. “Come _Back_ With Me. To My Timeline. To My Universe.”

You blinked up at him, stepping back a little. You didn't get too far since his arm was still around your waist. His hand released yours, and it stroked along your cheek lovingly, almost reverently. You swallowed thickly as the weight of what he had just asked settled into your brain.

“Black...I...I don't think I can?” you asked, your voice catching in your throat.

“Of Course You Can,” he said, shaking his head. “You Just Have To Be With Mutt And I When The Time Comes.”

“Sans, honestly, I don't think that's even possible,” you stammered out finally, your voice quiet. “This is my universe. The alpha timeline is my own, and I don't think I could go back to your timeline without there being some kind of...issue.”

“And What Issue Could There Possibly Be?”

“She said 'no', _Black_.”

You jumped and Black's scowl returned as he let you go. He stayed close to you, even though you turned to see Zapfino now standing in front of the doorway. The mask was still in place, and her showing eyelight was glaring daggers at the skeleton behind you. She came away from the door and down the steps. Despite her height, the stairs never once made a noise.

The closer she got, though, the more you could feel the magic swirling around her like an angry cloud. Her eyelight was flickering with magic again, much like it had in the kitchen the day she attacked him. You held your ground, standing between the two even though she stopped a fair distance away.

“Do Not Interrupt My Mate And I,” Black snarled low. “Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business.”

“I don't have a nose,” she mocked.

Christ on a bullet, you were so tired of that.

It didn't seem to matter as goosebumps rose on your arms. Magic prickled in the air in front of you and now behind you. You watched the baby blue glow emanate from Black's now summoned whip. Panic gripped your throat as your eyes widened and you looked between the two of them.

“Guys...”

“Get Out Of Here,” Black warned, the whip flicking a little when he snapped his wrist. “This Business Is Between My Bondmate And Myself.”

“And you know if you push the bond, or ask questions like that, you could _damage_ the bond! And not just for yourself, but for everyone!” Zapfino snapped, hands now out of her pocket. “Platonic or not!”

Your eyes widened and you glanced behind you a little. Black didn't look down at you, but the look on his face sent a small shiver down your spine. He reached out with his free hand, gripping your arm and bringing you closer to him. Like he was trying to protect you. But you didn't need protected from Zapfino?

You thought you two got along splendidly. That might have been because of the bond thing, but it didn't matter to you. You enjoyed listening to the stories that she and Fresh had about jumping from one universe to the next. Or hanging out with their versions of your boys.

But you had noticed there was a lack of one certain skeleton duo, and one of them was still gripping your arm.

You hissed a little when his claws started to dig into your skin. “Sans, you're hurting me.”

He didn't let go and you looked over at the magic in the air became palpable. Zapfino looked absolutely livid now. Her eye flared with magic and you noticed her knife was in her hand again. Anxiety was like bile in the back of your throat.

“Let her go, short shit,” Zapfino snapped.

“No. She's My Mate, And I'll Do As I Please.”

You saw her eye socket twitch. Oh boy...

“Go Crawling Back To The Parasite, You Anomaly,” Black barked, his hand tightening.

You cried out right as you heard something crack. You looked over to see Black's claws had dug into your skin, pricking you and blood welled to the surface. But you looked over to see Zapfino grinding her teeth together, one side raised in a snarl.

Your eyes flicked around quickly. Where was Fresh? She was always with Fresh!

You couldn't catch sight of the nineties nightmare, and Black let out a smug sounded snort and you looked up at him.

“Sans–”

“Go Back To Your _Murderer_ ,” he snapped.

The magic in the air was harsh on your tongue, and you let out a cry as you watched Zapfino's mask crack more. There were lines spider webbing from the bottom up as her magic flared to life in her eye socket. But it wasn't just the teal magic that was leaking from her socket. You could see that there were purple wisps leaking from the cracks in her mask.

You ripped yourself from Black, nearly falling to the ground. You scrambled as best as you could to head over to Zapfino. She took a step forward right as you collided with her. Your hands shook as the force of the magic she was exuding nearly knocked you back. But you clung to her, hands buried in her hoodie.

“Zapfino! Hold on!” you breathed out.

“ _Let go,_ ” she snapped, eyelight focused on Black as the shorter of the two flicked his whip into the air, one leg moving into stance behind the other.

“No, please,” you whispered.

“Get Out Of The Way, Pet,” Black snapped.

Zapfino growled, the sound reverberating in her ribs. “ _She isn't your pet!_ ”

Another resounding crack sounded in the mask and you watched as a chunk fell off. The magic in the air swirled around you, lifting your hair and raising the hair on your arms and the back of your neck. You cried out as Zapfino dropped to the ground, patellas clacking against the ground under her. You went with her as her whole frame shook.

_Where the hell is Fresh!?_

You couldn't fathom the question much longer as Zapfino let out a shout, and you felt another wave of magic flow out as another crack sounded, another piece falling from her mask. You could see Black pausing from the corner of your eye, see his sockets widening. But you refused to be deterred as you threw yourself into a hug around the giant monstress, tears forming at the corner of your eyes.

“Zapfino, please!” you cried out.

She didn't seem to hear you, and you felt like she was about to explode, or something. You couldn't understand it, so you simply babbled whatever was the first thing out of your mouth, hoping that Fresh would come down soon. They were soul bonded, right? So he had to know what was going on with her.

So where was he?!

You weren't entirely sure, but you held on tight, your hands burying themselves into her hoodie. You could hear the door open behind her and heard some of the others shouting at you to get away from her. But you couldn't bring yourself to. Fresh wasn't here to keep her calm. She needed someone by her side.

“It's okay, Z,” you whispered, your voice cracking as a tear raced down your cheek. “It's okay. I'm here. You're here. You're safe, I'm safe. Black isn't going to do anything to you, and he won't do anything to me. Sh, sh, Z. Z, it's alright. You're safe. I'm here. I've got you, and I'm not letting you go.”

Magic seemed to slowly fade after that last line, and you breathed out a sigh of relief as the magic slowly faded. What you weren't expecting, however, was the way Zapfino seemed to move, her hand half gloved hand coming up to snag Mutt's hoodie still covering your form. Her grip was tight and you looked over to see most of her mask had fallen apart.

You moved so you were in front of her, picking up the pieces of her mask and smiling a little as you placed them in her lap. Then you reached around her, having to stretch a little so you could grasp the sides of her hood. Gently, you pulled it so it was up over her head, but you made sure you were careful with the holes in the side of her head. Your hands shook as you reached up, slowly, picking off the pieces of the rest of the mask.

“I promise, Zapfino,” you whispered softly. “I will always be here, and you will always have me.”

You don't know what shocked you more: the fact you managed to help calm a giant skeleton, or the fact that she drew you into a hug. She still shook under you, but you wrapped your arms around her, smiling and burying your face in her hoodie.

“Thank you, Y/n,” she said softly. “Thank you...”

After what felt like an eternity, you finally managed to get the two of you up. Black stayed far away from her, but you went over to him. He snagged the arm he had hurt, moving Mutt's jacket out of the way. He frowned, his teeth turning down as he took in the bruising that had started.

“I'm Sorry, My Queen,” he murmured.

“We'll talk about this later. Lemme get Zapfino back to Fresh, wherever he is.” You smiled at him and stood on tiptoes to kiss his teeth. “I'll catch ya later... _m'lord_.”

You didn't wait to see his reaction as you scurried off and went to Zapfino, helping her to her feet and heading toward the house. You tugged her hood down a little more, knowing she didn't want the others to see the injury in her skull. You smiled and helped her inside.

A tug at your soul had you pausing by the door, looking over your shoulder. Black had already left, but you were staring in the direction of the campus. Where the lab was. Where Sans's dirty secret sat.

Another tug had you gasping, your hand flying to your sternum.

“sweets?”

Right as Serif caught you, Sans's phone rang loudly. He answered it. You barely heard what he said as your ears started to ring. Holy shit, what was this? Your chest was tugging, and you blinked quick and fast as Sans hung up with a curse.

“lab. now.”

“but honey–”

“fuck just...just bring her. red!”

The world faded around you and you were greeted with an endless black. Vantablack, is what you would call it. Just an endless expanse of blackness swallowing the entire place whole. When you came out of it, you were greeted with the chaos that must have been where the machine was. You saw Alphys fiddling around it and when she saw you, she looked like she was about to blow. You could see the stress on her face as the others came into the lab. Mutt was among them, and you collapsed as you took in a deep breath.

The next hour was just insistent shouting and everyone trying to get everything together. You didn't notice that there were two skeletons behind you, slowly rising to their feet as you sat there on the ground, still slightly breathless from your trip through...wherever they went through to teleport.

But you did notice how the area around you seemed to grow just a tad colder, and you jumped as a hand clapped onto your shoulder. You let out a tiny shriek, turning and facing the two new skeletons.

“what's this?”

“This, _Dear_ Brother, Seems To Be The Start Of A _Fun_ Ride...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black: "I'M NOT LIKE ANYONE ELSE - I AM ME AND THAT'S IT."  
> Readz: "lol you like edge, tho."  
> Black: "Ok."


	31. Welcome, Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more boys show up.  
> You get an offer while you're at work.  
> You see the boys pulling a stunt - of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to another week of **"Why Do I Keep Doing This To Myself?"** featuring ya girl, Lolli. xD
> 
> Anyway! Today, we have two more boys joining us, and if you follow [catler00](https://catler00.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, then you'll recognize these boys for sure. (;
> 
> I've been hella excited for this chapter, and so has Boss himself! So, without further ado...
> 
> Garbage dump?  
> [My Tumblr!](http://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [Gaster & Anime](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab work:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself. (:
> 
> Discord:  
> [Chaos Reigns](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
>  **Introducing!:**  
>  **Craftale Sans:** Karma  
>  **Craftale Papyrus:** Justice
> 
>  **Song in Chapter:**  
>  Angel of Darkness - Alex Christensen
> 
> **  
> _Before you go off about me using Boss's characters, understand he and I have been discussing this for a couple of weeks now. I have sent him the snippets that involve his boys, and he has given me the greenlight through and through._  
>  **

The two skeletons in front of you were...tall. Or maybe it was because you were sitting? You weren't sure, but they were definitely Papyrus and Sans. Just...not the way the others looked. You glanced behind you to see the others had come over to see why you had been shrieking, but had paused a bit away from you. You looked back to the two in front of you.

The Papyrus lookalike in front of you had one hip slightly jutted out, arms crossed in front of his sternum. One elbow was resting on a gloved hand, the other reaching up to stroke over the masked part of his face. You frowned a little; why did he wear a mask? Did he have fucked up teeth like Crooks? You didn't say anything as you took in the appearance, noting how his shirt seemed to be ripped over his ribs on one side and it ended just above them. His spine was visible and you winced before looking to the Sans.

He was like the others, but you could already spot a few differences right off the bat. The most obvious was the purple thread that seemed to be sewn through his eye socket. Your stomach rumbled a little heavily at the sight and you bit back the urge to gag. You could also see that same purple threat on one side of his teeth, and on the wrist that was showing, which was right next to your face.

He wore a hoodie like the others did, a simple pullover much like Stretch wore. The eye socket that wasn't sewn shut had a single white eyelight, watching you curiously as though he was trying to figure something out.

“get your hand off of her.”

Sans's growling voice brought you out of whatever trance you had been while you had stared at another of his doubles. This Sans looked over your head, grin widening on one side before he moved away from you, taking a simple step back. You noticed his patellas were also sewn together, purple thread still in play. It was even there holding his shorts together!

You were suddenly lifted from the floor. The scent of caramel and citronella surrounded you, and you gasped as the sight of a blue and yellow hoodie came into view. You looked over to see Galaxy helping you to your feet. He shrugged off his hoodie, wrapping it around your shoulders as the others came to surround you. G had even showed up, standing off to your left with his hands shoved in his pants pockets.

“Guys, what are you doing?” you hissed.

“they don't seem right,” Stretch muttered.

You scowled at Stretch's back. “What is that supposed to mean?” you demanded.

“you know how I explained how the others got here?” Sans asked softly to your left.

You nodded, turning to look at him. But you looked over to Mutt when he spoke next.

“they don't...seem to have th' same magic signatures,” he said gruffly, amber eyelights on the new arrivals. “it's unnerving.”

“What's Unnerving Is This Horrible Welcome,” the Papyrus scoffed, rolling his eyelights. Even through the mask, his words came out clear. “Truly, We Come Out Into Your Universe, And This Is How You Greet Someone?”

“i'll say,” the Sans scoffed. “even ripped our mate away, paps.”

“she's not jus' yer mate!” Red snarled as Galaxy began growling beside you. “'sides, ya probably jus' a platonic mate!”

That caused the Sans to laugh. The sound was...off. It sounded so off kilter, and it definitely didn't remind you of any Sans you had met thus far. Hell, he was definitely at the whole other side of the spectrum compared to Fresh.

You wrung your hands together as best as you could with the giant hoodie over your shoulders. You weren't exactly sure how to go about it, and you could feel the tugging at your soul. Red was wrong; of course he was. Your hand went to your sternum, gripping onto the fabric of your shirt.

And it had been such a nice day, too.

You slowly blew out a breath before you let a smile grace your features. You pushed your way gently past the wall of skeletons that were blocking you from their sight. You held out your hand, even as a hand clapped on your shoulder.

“I'm Y/n,” you said quietly.

The Sans and Papyrus lookalikes looked at each other, each of them blinking slowly. You watched as Sans's teeth formed into a smirk, and you watched as the Papyrus easily unfolded his arms from his chest. You knew what this was. They were going to show the others they weren't scared of them.

You could have screamed. This is why having boss monsters as bondmates and potential soulmates was a pain in the ass.

You let out a little yelp as the Sans dipped down, grabbing your hand and bringing it closer to him. His teeth grazed over the back of your hand gently, avoiding the strings that were on the one side of his teeth. He was cold to the touch, and you had to tamp down the urge to warm him up. You didn't know him quite yet, and the others seemed to be on edge with them here.

That single eyelight looked up at you, flashing white before he spoke.

“ya already know who i am, but you can call me karma,” he murmured softly. His voice carried a slight teasing lilt.

You'd been too focused on Karma in front of you that you didn't notice his Papyrus moving around behind you. Hands slid along your waist and you yelped, shock traveling like snake up your spine. Reflexively, you leaned back into the touch, and you could see Karma's eyelight flash for a mere second.

The Papyrus leaned down, the fabric of his mask soft against your cheek. You swallowed a little, your face going red.

“And You May Call Me Justice,” he said softly, breath ghosting over your skin.

There was an eruption of growls behind you and you snapped out of the trance you found yourself in. You gave an awkward laugh and moved away from the two of them, rubbing your hoodie covered arm as you stepped back into one of the boys. An arm snaked around your waist and tugged you close.

“Maybe we should head back to the house?” you suggested warily. “I mean...I'm sure the others are worried since you guys just whisked me here.”

The others around you started grumbling and you were turned around. An orange hoodie greeted you. You clung to Stretch, burying your face in his sternum. The world seemed to leave you, your feet dangling for a brief moment before they were planted back on solid ground.

When you pulled away from Stretch, you were practically yanked away from him. You yelped, colliding into a pair of arms before a pair of familiar glasses was in your face. Fresh looked you over, his hands squishing your arms and legs. He turned your head different ways before he seemed to breath out a sigh of relief.

“glad t' see you're okay, brosephine,” he said, shaking his head. “z told me what happened. that was pretty whack of you.”

You shrugged, sheepish as he stared down at you. “I know, but...I didn't know where you were, and I didn't want her to hurt herself.”

The giant bara skeleton stared down at you for a moment before he sighed, placing a hand on your head. You bounced a little with force, but you looked up at him through your lashes. He was grinning down at you, his glasses now saying “BEST” across them.

“you're the best, lil brosephine.”

“ahem.”

The other skeletons were standing around, watching the exchange. Fresh shook his head. He came around you standing behind you and placing one hand on your shoulder. He stood his ground as all the others around him groaned and muttered complaints.

“i'm stickin' around, dudes. z is chillin' right now, so you're kickin' it with me,” he said, arm around your shoulder now.

“fine.”

The others filtered into the living room. All except Karma and Justice, who seemed to stand there, hands behind their backs and taking everything in. You noticed the way your soul was tugging and you rubbed your hand over your sternum. It was the same kind of pull you had when you met other soulmates that were...romantic.

These boys were not going to be happy.

You wrung your hands together as everyone settled. Fresh moved the two of you over to a couch, sitting down and plopping you beside him. He moved the two of you until your legs were thrown over his lap and you were practically curled into his side. Despite the horrible colors of his clothes assaulting your vision, you smiled a little.

He may only be a platonic bondmate, but he was fuckin' comfy.

“You guys can sit down if you want,” you said softly.

“nah, 'm good, love.”

“Quite.”

You squinted a little. The way the word “love” came out sounded more...of a mockery. They had to have known they were romantic bondmates, too, but you weren't sure if they felt the same pull or not. They were definitely much different than your regular – or almost regular – boys. There was just something about them that was the tiniest bit off kilter...

You huffed out a breath. “Okay...so...”

“what are you?” Edge piped up suddenly.

You jumped; hell, you didn't realize he had taken up a stance behind you. You looked from him back to the new boys. You sighed and put your face in your hands.

“Edge, c'mon. There's not need to be rude...”

“Demons.”

Your head snapped up at Justice's voice. He still stood with his hands behind his back, and still stood straight. The only thing that seemed to have move was his brow bone as it raised when you looked at him. Your mouth opened and closed for a moment, unsure of where to go from here.

The air in the room seemed to thicken as the others around you grew wary. You noticed a few of them shift closer to you, and you watched as Sans slowly stood. He may have seemed lazy about it, slowly stretching as he did and grumbling. But you knew better than that. You knew this was his way of getting ready for a fight.

“that's not funny,” G said.

“It Wasn't Meant To Be,” Justice countered, shrugging. “It's Merely The Truth.”

Some of them scoffed.

“YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS,” Black said, now standing. Mutt was by his side in a second. “YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE SOME KIND OF SUPERNATURAL CREATURE?”

“think what'cha want, buddy,” Karma said now, leaning against the archway leading into the living room. “you can believe in a parasite that can take over your whole body and control you, but you can't believe in demons?” His scoff turned into a short, barking laugh. “now _that's_ unbelievable.”

You breathed out through your nose. You adjusted yourself, even though Fresh didn't let you leave his side. Instead, now your legs were dangling over the side of the couch as his arm wrapped around your shoulder, keeping you in place by his side. None of the other boys even looked his way.

“WHAT CONCERNS ME,” Papyrus said, wringing his gloves together, “IS THEY ALREADY HAD NAMES PICKED OUT! JUST LIKE MISSUS ZAPFINO AND FRESH!”

Sans's eye socket twitched. “that's true, bro. Most sans and papyrus's don't even have that to pick from.”

Karma shrugged. “they're our summoning names, _buddy_.” He smirked at the original version of himself before his eyelight cut to you on the couch. “but that's a story for another time. tell me, love, how is it collecting so many soulmates?”

You winced, looking down at your hands instead of looking at him. “I'm not 'collecting' them. So stop being an ass, Karma.”

You really didn't like the way the pet name flowed from him. It wasn't like the way the others would croon theirs to you, or even the way Fresh would call you “brosephine”. It felt like a mockery, like they _knew_ what they were to you, but they didn't want it.

The thought sent a pang through your sternum that had the other boys looking your way. You waved them off and breathed out through your nose. You could do this. Did you believe they were demons? Not really. Could you be wrong? Possibly.

“Alright. I'm gonna show them to a room,” you said, getting up from the couch. “How many rooms do we have left in the house?”

“two,” Sans said, his eyelights never leaving Karma, the latter winking at him.

“can it be three?” Fresh grunted. “tired of bonkin' my head against all of ya's low ceilings.”

“maybe if you shrank,” Galaxy muttered.

You could feel tensions rising and you stomped your foot, growling in frustration. “Would you guys please shut the fuck up?” you snapped. “I have a shift at Muffet's tomorrow and would really like to get some goddamn sleep!”

The room was silent, but the tension was still there. You ground your teeth together as you went to leave the room, motioning for Justice and Karma to follow you. You didn't wait for any of the others to say anything, heading up to the third floor of the house. You went past the rooms already occupied, pushing open a door for one of the other rooms.

You didn't even pause to see if they had followed, but you were too vexed to care. You turned, seeing they had followed you into the room.

“I'm sorry, but for right now, you'll have to share the room until we can figure something out,” you said, your voice still slightly biting. “My room is two doors down. Zapfino and Fresh are next door and Sans is on my other side. If you need something, please let me know.”

You turned on your heel. But before you could leave the room, you paused as one of them started laughing. You turned to see that Karma was leaning against the wall, socket shut as he his laughter filled the room. Justice just looked thoroughly amused as he sat on the bed. One leg crossed over the other.

You couldn't help but feel like there was an air of importance about this Papyrus. Sure, there was one about Edge, and even Black. But there was something about this Papyrus that just seemed to dictate attention. You shook yourself as Karma finally paused in his wheezing laughter.

“man, didn't realize the kitten had claws,” he breathed, running a hand down the side of his skull, avoiding the thread. “that was wonderful.”

Uh?

“It...was?” you asked softly. “I...sorry. I kinda blew up in there. They've been at it for a while since Fresh showed up. And Black and Zapfino went at it only minutes before they brought me to the lab with them.”

“Now, Now, Love,” Justice said, his head tilted. “There's No Need To Apologize. You're Human. You're Going To Get Frustrated. It's Alright To Get Angry At Them.”

“But it's not alright to snap at them like that,” you countered weakly. “Just because they're driving me crazy doesn't mean I want to yell at them.”

“yeah, but you don't need to let them fight like that,” Karma said, slipping next to you. “like paps said, it's alright to get angry with em.”

You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt. You just wanted to get in the shower and go to bed. Plus, you felt like you needed to do one more thing before you went to sleep for the night. So you gave them both smiles and sighed.

“I'll talk to you both some more tomorrow,” you said, backing from the room. “I need to shower and get ready for bed. I have work in the morning.”

With that, you left the room. Once the door clicked shut, Justice looked over to Karma. Both of them were staring at each other, thoughts swirling in their minds as their bones rattled. Unstable magic or not, you were going to be a fun one. While neither were for humans, something about you had called them here from their own universe.

And neither of them were complaining as their souls throbbed in their ribs. The pins poking within their souls vibrated with each thump, and they both winced, but said nothing.

“whaddaya think, paps?”

“I Think...”

Justice rose to his feet, his full height. He went over to the windows, looking over the backyard where there were some cabins within view. There was a single red eyelight staring up at them, unflinching as Justice grinned down at them.

“I Think We're In For One Hell Of A Good Time, Brother.”

–

The next morning, you were quick to wake up. You got yourself ready, shower and all before you grabbed your phone and wallet, stuffing them in the pocket of your hoodie. You made your way down to the first floor where you saw that Black and Crooks were. Mutt and Axe were nowhere to be seen, and you noticed even Sans and the others were missing. It was just you and the loud brothers this morning.

What startled you was when Pink appeared, swooping from the kitchen to wrap you in a hug. You laughed, letting him spin you in a circle and letting his teeth press against your cheek before he set you back on your feet. You were only there for a moment before someone had shoved a mug in your face.

“I WAS TOLD YOU LIKE COFFEE WHEN YOU WAKE UP!” Crooks said happily. “EDGE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE IT!”

You peeked over to see Edge puttering around in the kitchen, not even paying attention. But you could see the faint glow of his magic on his cheekbones. It was only for a second, but you still smiled, hiding it behind taking a small sip of the coffee in your hands. It was absolutely perfect and you sighed happily.

You wiped a hand over your eyes as you sat at the table, mug in hand. You had barely slept all night. At some point, you had heard Fresh and Zapfino talking, but you hadn't bothered to see if Zapfino was fine. She was with Fresh; you were certain she was alright.

You didn't see any signs of Karma or Justice, but it didn't bother you too much. They were new here, and you were sure they going to plan their next move much like Fresh and Zapfino did. You were going to have to discuss it with someone about Fresh and Zapfino getting their own cottage.

There was also the matter of Zapfino's mask. It was completely shattered. Maybe you could put the pieces together and get a new one made for her? You weren't sure, but you had to figure something out because you knew you wouldn't see her unless she had her mask to cover the holes in her skull.

You frowned into your cup as you took another drink, the brothers talking and moving around you. You couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten those. They were kind of like Axe's, but instead of one, gaping hole in the side of her head, there were three holes, each about two inches in diameter. Which was impressive since her skull wasn't exactly small, considering her size.

You finished off your coffee, standing and rushing it to the sink. You slid around Edge, placing it under a stream of running water. When you went to step back, you were stopped by Edge stepping behind you. He leaned down, his teeth by your cheek as he sighed against your skin. You let out a confused squeak as his teeth pressed against your temple softly.

“Have A Good Day, Bunny,” he murmured against your temple before he pulled away, moving back to do what he had been doing.

You were frozen for a few moments before Black came over to collect you. Apparently, it was his turn to take you to work, even though he didn't live in the house. Once you had grabbed your coat and donned your hat, Black took you by the elbow and led you from the house. There was a pretty looking car sitting in the driveway. The color absolutely threw you for a loop though.

“This is a pretty bright blue,” you said running your fingers over the paint.

He merely shrugged, opening your door for you. You slid into the front seat, shivering a little even as the leather under you slowly warmed. Black made his way around the back of the car before sliding into the driver's seat, buckling himself in. His eyelights cut to you and you hurried to do the same thing.

Once you were all buckled in, you were on your way to Muffet's. The day was just beginning, people milling about and enjoying their morning coffee. You crinkled your nose as you passed by the campus, remembering you still had to do some papers before the end of the semester in just a couple of weeks before vacation hit.

The ride there was mostly quiet. Both you and Black seemed to be lost in your own thoughts, a talk show playing softly in the background from the radio. At least, until he turned the volume all the way down. Your eyes snapped to him, though his focus remained on the road.

“I Wanted To Apologize Again For The Way I Acted Last Night With... _Zapfino_ ,” he said, her name sounding like venom coming from his teeth. “I Should Not Have Acted The Way I Did With Her, Nor Put You In Harms Way.”

You looked down at your hands, fiddling with the ends of your coat. You didn't say anything for a moment before you sighed through your nose and glanced up at him. He had been reaching for the knob for the volume again, but retracted his hand when you looked up.

“I...I'm not going to say it's entirely alright,” you said finally, looking out the window in front of you. “But, just understand the two of you can't fight like this. I'm kind of wondering if she ended up having a panic attack or not. Regardless, you two need to work out your differences. I can't keep mediating this fighting with the two of you.”

He made a noise in the back of his throat as he did a perfect parallel park. You could have cried in jealousy as you made to get out of the car. His hand on your arm made you pause. You looked over to see his face was mere centimeters from yours. You sputtered, face red, before his hand cupped your chin.

His teeth met your lips and you let out a long breath through your nose as your body released the tension. Right as you leaned in for more, he pulled away slightly. Baby blue eyelights met your own and you let out a small gasp when his grasp tightened on your chin. His usual fanged grin settled into a smirk as his sockets narrowed ever so slightly.

“And The Next Time You Address Me As 'M'lord'...Well, I Hope You Like Being Bent Over.”

With that he released you and moved back into his own seat. His seat belt was once more buckled and you scrambled to get out of the car. Your face was red as Muffet let you into the building, humming a little as she went back to a fabric set she seemed to be working on.

You hurried to the back, shucking your coat and hat and placing them on the table. You took a moment to run your fingers through your hair and to slowly begin to settle down. You hummed to yourself, counting to ten before you felt you were okay enough to go out and begin work.

Once you clocked in, it was like time was moving rapid fire. You went through the motions and helped Muffet with some cutting when you were able to. You were able to help a few people pick out some clothes and point out some fabrics you thought went together for quilts and blankets.

By the middle of the day, you were busying yourself in the back behind the counter while Muffet worked on a few custom orders. You were stocking up the needles and such you kept behind you, humming and tapping your foot as a song played over and over in your head.

_“Angel of darkness_   
_Angel of darkness_   
_The world is in your hand,_   
_But I will fight until the end._   
_Angel of darkness_   
_Angel of darkness_   
_Don't follow your command,_   
_But I will fight and I will stand._

_“When darkness falls,_   
_Pain is all,_   
_The Angel of Darkness_   
_will leave behind,_   
_and I will fight._

_“The love is lost,_   
_beauty and light,_   
_have vanished from_   
_garden of delight._   
_The dreams are gone,_   
_midnight has come,  
the darkness is our new kingdom. Yeah-eah...”_

You had started off singing quietly. You didn't want to disturb Muffet in her work, and you noticed she never really had music playing on a radio like most other shops did. Whether it was because she didn't like the music she could play, or if her spider family just didn't like it, you never knew. But you couldn't help when your voice rose to match the pitch in your head.

You didn't hear someone come into the store.

“ _Angel of darkness  
Angel of darkness  
The world is in your hand,  
But I will fight until the end.  
Angel of darkness _

_“Angel of darkness  
Don't follow your command,  
But I will fight and I will stand. _

_“Hunt goes on,  
deep in the night,  
time to pray,  
down on your knees,  
you can't hide from the  
eternal light,  
until my last  
breath I will fight _

_(I will fight...)”_

You were now moving around on your feet, swaying side to side, stepping this way and that. You felt light on your feet as you moved, a smile gracing your features. You didn't notice the robot standing behind you, nor the way Muffet was covering her painted lips with two of her hands.

_“Now realize, the stars they die,  
Darkness has fallen in paradise.  
But we'll be strong, and we will fight,  
Against the creatures of the night._

_“Angel of darkness  
Angel of darkness  
The world is in your hand,  
But I will fight until the end.  
Angel of darkness  
Angel of darkness  
Don't follow your command,  
But I will fight and I will stand.”_

The clapping behind you had you jumping and let out a small shriek. You turned on your heel and Mettaton himself towered over you. You felt your eyes go wide and you sputtered for a moment as Muffet descended into a fit of giggles.

“Darling~!” he said, throwing one of his arms out wide. “That was spectacular! I only expected to come pick up my order, but to get a show as well?”

“I-I am so sorry!” you finally managed to sputter out. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

He moved so his arms were resting on the counter between the two of you. Black hair fell into one of his eyes as a single, pink eye stared at you. His metallic smile could have even made an already blind person wince at its brightness. You shifted from foot to foot uncertainly.

“After that show? Oh, I absolutely have something I think you can help me with,” he nearly purred. Before you could open your mouth to tell him about the boys, he held up a hand, elbow on the counter top still. “Nothing like that, darling~. I know about you and Sans and his brother. Sad, I think. I always did _adore_ that energetic skeleton.”

A wistful sigh escaped Mettaton and you felt your eyes narrow at him. He chuckled and tilted his head a little. The hair actually moved with the movement, but you still didn't get the chance to see his other eye. Instead, you watched as Muffet came closer to the counter.

“I was wondering if you could preform for me,” Mettaton said. “I'm opening a new little club in the city over, and I would love if you came and sang and preformed!”

You chewed your cheek for a moment before answering. “I...I don't know. See, my friend is the one I usually sing with–”

“Oh, he's by all means invited as well,” the robot said, straightening. “I would love to have you guys preform at the opening! Of course, I'd have to see how he does as well.”

“Oh, I know she preforms with her friend during the weekends, isn't that right, dearie~?” Muffet managed to giggle before you could say anything.

You laughed nervously. “That's right. At the Silver Ale on Saturdays.”

“Oh, that's right by the club I'll be opening!” the fabulous robot gushed. “Oh, please, may I come watch this weekend?”

 _So long as nothing else happens,_ you thought tiredly.

Out loud, you gave a smile and nodded. “Of course. I would be honored if you came and watched me and my friends.”

“Perfect! Then I'll see you this weekend!”

Muffet and him walked off as more people came into the store. You were suddenly too busy to think about the offer you had just received and you spent the rest of your work day bouncing around the store. You helped more older ladies, and a few monsters who came in looking for clothes for graduation.

It wasn't until you and Muffet were closing things up for the night that you realized Mettaton had asked you to be a performer. At his club. That he was opening. You numbly made your way out of the room while Muffet seemed to take amusement at your expression.

“Did it finally hit, dearie?” she asked, ushering you out into the cold.

“I just fuckin' agreed to perform for Mettaton?” you breathed out, watching your breath fog up in front of you. “Holy shit, that...”

Muffet placed two hands on the top of your head, chuckling. You looked up at her and she grinned down at you.

“You have talent, dearie,” she said softly. “So treasure this talent. Who knows, maybe it'll help you for your future.”

Before you could respond, there was a charge in the air and as you glanced over, you saw Fresh standing there, hands in his hoodie pockets. His glasses read “SUP BRAH” as he glanced at you and Muffet. The spider woman raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She gave you one more gentle pat on the head before turning the key in the door of the building, locking up for the night.

As she walked off, waving goodbye, you gave her one more wave before you turned to Fresh, who was leaning against the building next to Muffet's. He was looking around, but you couldn't gauge his expression since the glasses he wore covered up his sockets. It was always your way to judge the boys, and now you couldn't do that with him.

You needed to find another way to do it. But, for now, you watched as he glanced around the shopping strip, watching as his glasses went back to their classic “YO-LO”. You waited for him patiently, rocking back and forth on your heels, glancing around yourself.

Ebott wasn't such a big place, but because it was a university town, it got a lot of hype. Shops were everywhere, quick food places and coffee shops. You glanced around and noticed there were quite a few people still milling around. You merely hummed, watching as people moved around and people began closing down stores.

Fresh bounced himself off the wall and grinned, holding out a hand to you. You took it without question. But you paused when you noticed a familiar entrance to the woods, and you felt yourself smile as you thought back on a memory that felt like it was years ago.

_“d'ya trust me?”_

It felt like so long ago Red took you to see those deer in that clearing. You remembered it fondly, and you didn't realize you were playing with the string on Fresh's hoodie until he leaned away a little to stare down at you.

“everything okay, lil brosephine?”

You startled, craning your neck to look up at him. You really did forget just how big he was. You knew he was almost eight feet, much like Crooks, but it always seemed to slip your mind. You gave him a smile and nodded.

“Of course. Just remembering something.”

He nodded, an easy grin on his face and he went to pull you to him before he paused, a grimace on his face as he rubbed his sternum. Your eyes widened and you held out a hand before you grunted. Your soul had started feeling a tad uncomfortable, and you started rubbing at it while glancing over to the hulking skeleton in front of you.

“Fresh–”

“i'm fine, poppet,” he said, grinding his teeth together. “it's z. gotta get to her now.”

The two of you damn near collided as you felt the charge in the air. Darkness swallowed you as your feet left the ground for a mere second before you were brought back to reality. You and Fresh practically ripped apart, but he was at the door before you were, throwing open the front door. You followed after him and paused at the scene in front of you.

Zapfino's magic was once more palpable in the air. You watched as purple and teal swirls surrounded her. But around her were your boys. Each of them had varying expressions of confusion and anger. Your eyes narrowed, even as you saw Karma and Justice coming down the stairs to take in the scene with you.

Fresh went to surge forward, a small snarl ripping from his throat. You managed to place a hand on his ulna and radius, not taking your eyes from the boys who were now sweating or pointedly looking away from you. Your eye twitched as you took in a deep breath through your nose.

“I'm only going to ask this once,” you said slowly, blowing out a breath, “and only once. What the _fuck_ is going on now?”

You were growing tired of this. Your body shook with silent rage as you marched over to them, not giving them a chance to speak as you took a stand in front of Zapfino, crossing your arms and straightening your back.

“we jus' wanted answers, kitten,” Red grumbled.

“Answers for what?” you asked, exasperated. “I'm not understanding exactly what's going on since you guys _have her cornered without her mate even in the same room_.”

Your words came out a tired snarl at the end of it. You noticed that Karma and Justice were talking lowly with Fresh, and the giant skeleton said nothing. Justice was around the same height as him and Crooks, you noticed. You grit your teeth, putting your focus back on the skeletons in front of you.

“If this happens again, I'm leaving this house,” you snapped. “I'll go sleep in one of the cottages or something, so I won't be far. But I'm tired of this happening all the damn time. Leave. Zapfino. Alone!”

Your voice echoed a little in the space. Edge and Blackberry merely grunted, turning and leaving the room. The others shrank into their hoodies or looked off to the side. Your shoulders slumped as you turned to look up at Zapfino. Much like Fresh, you had to crane your neck to see her face. You could see that the holes in her skull were on display and you sucked a breath through your nose.

“Did they...?” You made a motion to her hood, imitating them taking it off.

She shook her head, giving a small smile. The magic in the air was slowly waning, and you heard Fresh coming toward the two of you.

“No. I decided to keep my hood off today,” she said softly.

Fresh grabbed for her, bringing her to him and nuzzling against her good side. You smiled, nodding even if she couldn't see you before looking over at the boys. For the most part, a few of the truly did look ashamed, Blue most of all. You only sighed, clapping your hands once before letting a smile light your features.

“I do have good news!” you said instead.

They all seemed to perk up at that. The uncomfortable feeling you felt in your soul was slowly waning and you let the tension in your shoulders slowly release.

“And What Would This 'Good News' Be?” Justice asked, drawing all eyes to the Papyrus.

You noticed he and Karma had taken the clothes you left outside of their door. They looked a little better in jeans and regular shirts, but Karma still wore his hoodie – that wasn't shocking – and Justice still wore his mask and gloves.

You would have to talk to them about what they preferred clothes wise, so this way you knew what to get them. For now, you gave them a smile and squinted your eyes a little.

“When's dinner?”

This seemed to throw everyone, but you could hear Fresh and Zapfino snickering behind you. You breezed by the boys as they realized what you were doing. You tapped Justice on his cheekbone, avoiding the purple threads you could see poking out from behind his mask. You gave a gentle tug to Karma's hoodie as you passed them by.

You were excited about Mettaton, sure. But they were gonna have to wait after that scene you witnessed.

You took off your coat and shoes, placing them by the door. You whistled, even as the boys began to follow you into the dining room. Their voices overlapped, but you managed to tune them out as you peeked into the kitchen to see that Papyrus had been in here making dinner while the others had been with Zapfino.

Edge and Blackberry were helping him, all three silent as they worked. You couldn't help the smile that slid across your lips before you turned and sighed.

“I'll announce it over dinner,” you said. You glanced to Zapfino, Fresh, Karma and Justice. “Will you four be joining us tonight?”

“if you're gonna be there, i'll be right beside you,” Karma purred, sliding up next to you.

You let out a small squeak, your face heating up as you tried to think of something to say. You sputtered for a moment before he chuckled, the side of his mouth sans – heh – strings ghosting along your cheek before you just went to the chair at the head of the table.

It had been unspoken since Thanksgiving that it was _your_ seat. You tried refuting it many times, but all to no avail. Every boy – even the ones who didn't live in the main household – had managed to get you in the chair one way or another.

Everyone began chatting with each other, but Justice and Karma's eyes stayed on you. They didn't divulge much about their world, and you took note that Karma seemed to be fine with Justice doing most of the talking. They were also...very nihilistic people. You chewed on your lip as you took your mug of tea, drinking a little bit of it as you listened to them talk.

Papyrus came into the room, bringing dinner in with a flourish. Edge and Blackberry followed, carrying drinks and condiments for their brothers and the others. You smiled as Papyrus laid down the dinner for the night, scurrying off to grab the rest of it.

Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and green beans. There were six baskets of rolls presented with everything as well. Blackberry leaned down to give a quick peck to your cheek before heading to his seat beside his brother. Papyrus and Edge both just sat next to their brothers and you all dug in.

Once everyone had gotten their food, Stretch looked over at you.

“so, honey, what's this good news?”

You held up a finger as all eyelights turned to you. You chewed your food as fast as your jaw would allow and swallowed, wiping off the gravy from the side of your mouth with a paper towel that someone floated over to you.

“Well, Mettaton came into the store today,” you said. “And he heard me singing to myself, I guess. I was too lost in my own world to have been paying attention. But he wanted to know if I would come by to his new club or whatever and perform for him.”

You hadn't realized it, but you were beginning to bounce in your seat from the excitement. The boys were all watching you and you could see as Axe leaned forward, elbow on the table and putting his jaw into his open palm. The single red eyelight moved over you.

“i say go for it, sparrow,” he said, head tilted. “sounds like a good time.”

Zapfino's eye sockets were narrowed slightly, but she said, “I agree with Axe. Go for it if it makes you happy.”

The others began talking and agreeing with them. Your face was flushed as you pushed your food around with your fork, giving nervous chuckles as you waited for them to all settle down.

“So What About The Silver Ale On Saturdays?” Blue asked. “Morgan Will Be Upset!”

“He's actually coming to see the guys and I perform,” you said soothingly. “I'm hoping he has something Morgan can do, too. Morgan deserves it more than I do. This is just something I do in passing. Morgan, however, _breathes_ this stuff. You know? If this could give him any kind of boost, it would help him so much.”

You smiled as you spoke, cutting into the salisbury steak as the others began talking about different things again. You smiled as you stuffed your face with mashed potatoes, sighing through your nose.

You could hear the wedding bells as you married a bowl of mashed potatoes. These boys could find someone else, right?

You choked on your potatoes in laughter as everyone glanced at you, all concerned. You shook your head, letting them know you were fine. You watched, however, as Axe and Zapfino talked quietly. Fresh was watching, but wasn't saying much and Crooks was eyeing the holes in Zapfino's head. But it wasn't with curiosity.

It was with sympathy.

You should have guessed that something like this would have happened. You tried to think of how you could fix her mask. Sure, a new one would be pretty cool, but...you didn't know how long she'd had the mask. But you could tell from how upset she looked after she saw it in pieces that she'd had it for a _long_ time.

You wanted to do something nice for her, and Christmas was coming up soon. You didn't know if you and your family were going to do anything. Plus, the monsters around you loved their Gyftmas. You didn't know much about Karma and Justice and their take on it, but you were going to try and learn about it.

After all, they were bondmates, too.

Dinner flew by, and you found yourself curled up beside Justice and Karma in the living room as they talked with the others, avoiding certain topics. You felt yourself dozing off, nodding in and out of sleep as you yawned.

This weekend would definitely be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readz: *calls Black m'lord*  
> Black: *gets whip ready* u mine now.


	32. We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for some singing!  
> But you have a surprise guest in the crowd...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you aren't following my Tumblr or aren't in the Discord for ASoF, then you won't know why I was gone, and I apologize.
> 
> I was going through a bit of a struggle the week this was supposed to be posted, and it cut off my writing by a shit ton. I didn't have the will or want to write, so everything was kind of at a stand still. And then the week after, I had to work most of the week cause my coworker had to go in for surgery, so I ended up taking her days. Didn't end up panning out like it was supposed to, but life happens, y'know?
> 
> So, I'm back at it, and here we go with this week's drama.
> 
> Enjoy. <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [My Tumblr](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want a good read?  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab with Siren:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363)
> 
> Discord:  
> [ASoF Discord](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> **Song in Chapter:**  
>  _Dancing With A Stranger - Sam Smith ft. Normani_

Saturday was a whirlwind. The week leading up to it had been a hurricane. You were getting ready for exams, and you were falling behind in one of your more science oriented classes. Between working for Muffet and studying for exams, you were too busy to hang out with any of your boys. Which, while that saddened you, also helped you a little bit.

Right now, though, you made sure you keep yourself to your room while you got ready. Papyrus had mentioned dinner was done some time ago, but you weren't hungry; you were nervous. You were going to be performing in front of Mettaton of all monsters. You brushed out your still wet hair, letting your fingers run through the strands much like Mutt loved to do. You just didn't want to mess up in front of him.

You smiled a little as you got ready, blow drying your hair and throwing on your clothes. You fixed your hair up into pigtails, keeping them low while you made sure your necklace and earrings were on. Next, you put on your shoes before you put on the little makeup you wore. Once you took one more look in the mirror, you grabbed a jacket and bolted out your door.

Once you were downstairs, you paused. Everyone, even Fresh and Zapfino were downstairs. Axe and Crooks were by the dining room with Axe munching on a bag of chips. Dusty was even there with them, giving you a small wave. Black was without Mutt, but he stood by the door as the others seemed to be corralling themselves to go.

You ran to Dusty first, throwing your arms around him. “I haven't seen you in a fat minute!”

His low chuckle rumbled through your being, and you sighed as his arms wrapped around your waist. His head dipped down, nasal ridge nuzzling your hair as he took in a slightly deep breath. The smell of eucalyptus overpowered the smell of dust at this point, and you were relaxing in his arms before you pulled back a little. You beamed up at him while he gave a lazy grin.

“oh, cutie, no love for me?”

You laughed as another pair of arms wrapped around your waist, tugging you from Dusty's now lax hold. Back to ribs, your nose was tickled by blue fur as you turned your head to see Sin's grinning face. You pressed your lips to his cheek before you managed to pry his hands from off of you.

The others were all waiting. There was one final head count before you felt the room temperature drop a few degrees. Shivering a little, you turned to see Karma and Justice standing by the stairs. Justice was leaning against the wall, his eyelights moving over the other versions of him and his brother, ignoring Zapfino before they settled on you.

Karma, however, had his eyelight right on you. There was a smirk on his teeth as he let it travel up and down your body and you shivered a little under his stare. It didn't seem to go unnoticed as Sans cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.

“everyone ready to go?” he asked, glancing around.

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. You looked to Zapfino and Fresh, the latter shrugging his shoulders before shoving one hand in his pocket and his other arm moving to wrap around Zapfino's shoulders. He pulled her close, adjusting the hood that rested on her head from her hoodie. She looked at you before giving a small smile.

“I thought I'd, uh, check it out,” she murmured softly. “I've overheard the boys mentioning your talent, and I heard you sang with Mutt, Edge and Stretch before.”

You nodded. But before you could say anything, you heard Karma scoffing and Justice chuckling.

“And Were You Just Planning On Leaving Us Here, Then?” Justice asked, straightening himself.

You looked over to Sans. He seemed nervous around them. Hell, all of them did. Then again, when someone that looks like you and brother proclaims to be a demon, you might have been hella nervous yourself.

“I mean, they can come, too, right?” you asked, tilting your head.

“they've only been here a short time, lilac,” Dusty grumbled. He was eyeing the two of them, but he didn't seem too fazed by them. “classic don't trust 'em outside of the house just yet.”

“i think they should get a chance,” Sin hummed, eyeing the two of them. “i don't sense the usual magic traces.”

“that's what's makin' us nervous,” Red muttered.

One moment, Karma was on one side of the room. The next, he was standing in front of Red, head tilted and grin wide as his single socket widened. Red yelped as there was an influx of magic in the air. You panicked for a moment, grabbing for Karma's hoodie and tugging him back toward you. You looked at Red.

“You alright?” you asked him.

“'m fine, kitten.”

You looked to Karma, glaring at him. He only shrugged off your hand, giving you an easy grin as he leaned down.

“i'm sorry, love,” he murmured. “i can make it up to you later tonight, if you'd like?”

You let out a squeak as you were pulled away from him, your entire face red. He sent you a wink before he went back to his brother. You felt vibrations at your back and turned your head to see it was Sans himself who had snagged you away from him. You took a look around at the others.

“You guys can head to the Silver Ale. I'll go with Sans and calm him down,” you said softly. “Go, shoo.”

The others all glanced at Justice and Karma before they began to file out the door. You grabbed Sans's hands, bringing him with you to the car he usually drove when he didn't want to teleport. You closed the door behind the two of you. You watched as everyone made their way to the separate cars, but left you with Sans on your own. You turned to him, the cold seeping through your clothes.

You shivered as you leaned against the car. “Sans, are you okay?”

“how do i keep fucking up?” he muttered.

“Sans?”

“it was just supposed to be you, paps and myself,” he sighed, running a hand down his skull. “but i keep messing up.”

You took his hand and brought it to your lips. The bone felt coarse beneath your fingers and mouth, but you said nothing as you kissed a knuckle. Then you pressed your lips to another knuckle. You repeated this, humming a little before you looked up to him. You smiled a little and tilted your head.

“Everything will work out, Sans,” you murmured. “But you have to face the consequences to your actions.”

“i know,” he murmured.

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to your own. The bone was cold against your skin, and you shut your eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. You didn't even open your eyes as hands slid along your cheeks and teeth met your mouth.

Your hand wrapped around his wrist, gripping into the fabric of his hoodie. The smell of walnuts and ketchup overpowered you, wrapping around you like a coat. He gathered you closer to him, arms branded around your waist tightly. Your hands moved to bury themselves in his jacket, keeping yourself close to him.

His tongue prodded along your bottom lip and you sighed, opening for him as you leaned a little further into his hold. There was a rumble in his chest as you pressed yourself to him. You sighed through your nose, a little smile forming on your lips.

You squeaked as he pinned you against the car. The cold seeped through your clothes and you gasped as a growl tore from him. He pulled away slightly, white eyelights looking down at you.

“you're mine,” he murmured, pressing his teeth to your cheek, “remember that.”

The two of you smiled a little at each other, your breathing coming out ragged as you took in a deep breath. The two of you got into the car, the ride to the next city silent as the two of you held hands between the seats.

The smile never left your face.

Once you got to the bar, you gave him one more kiss on his teeth before you scurried past the three tables that the others had shoved together. You gave them all a wave as you made your way to the back of the room, heading around the curtain that divided everyone from the performers.

When you turned the corner, you almost collided with Mutt, who was gnawing on a dog treat.

“there ya are,” he said. “been lookin' for ya.”

“Ah, yeah. Was talking to Sans at the house,” you chuckled. “Morgan and them already up?”

“not quite,” Stretch said, coming up beside Mutt. “he's getting a little nervous with Mettaton sitting by the bar. When we explained, he seemed to start getting stage fright.”

You sighed, a little smile on your face as you adjusted your pigtails. “Alright, Y/n to the rescue. First, I need to fix my makeup.”

You rolled the whistles you received from the two of them, laughing as you made your way over to the vanity the bar had set up for the female performers. You grabbed the eyeliner from a hidden spot you created, uncapping and leaning over it to get closer to the mirror.

As you fixed your makeup, there was a strange charge in the air. It felt like a teleport from one of the boys, but not quite like it. The air had a strange current to it, and there was a strange taste of copper in your mouth. You leaned away from the mirror a little, blinking only once. But when you opened your eyes, you let out a quiet squeak.

Karma himself was behind you, pressing up against you. Your hips were pressed into the edge of the vanity and you grit your teeth as your gaze met the single eyelight of Karma. While his eyelight was still white, you could see some red flickering within the tiny light. You swallowed thickly as he tilted his head, leaning in close to the back of your neck.

“what's wrong, love? did i startle you?” he murmured, his breath ghosting over your neck.

“You...I thought...”

“just because i don't have magic doesn't mean i don't know how to walk through the veil,” he chuckled against you.

“How did you know where we were?” you asked. “I thought you guys could only teleport if you knew where somewhere was?”

His chuckle was deep. His arms came around and pinned themselves on either side of you, locking you in against the vanity table. You swallowed as his teeth grazed over the part of your neck that showed from between your pigtails.

“we told you, didn't we?” His words echoed in your head as he leaned against your back, careful not to apply too much pressure as his teeth grazed your ear. Eyelight locked with your gaze, his grin stretched as you watched his teeth separate a tiny bit. You could see the points of fangs in his maw even. “we're demons; your silly rules don't apply to us.”

He nipped your ear, causing a jolt to go right up your body and you gasped. Your face flushed as one hand came up to cover your mouth. He was faster, grabbing your wrist and practically slamming it on the table in front of you. Red swirled within that red dot a little more, but your gazes remained locked.

“i'm disappointed you let them leave us home,” he sighed a little, moving away from your ear. “i thought you'd at least try and stick up for my bro and i.”

“I was...I had to–”

“save it, love,” he murmured. “we'll chit chat later.”

“Y/n?”

You nearly collapsed as Morgan's voice cut through the tension between you and Karma. The skeleton moved away from you, and you sucked in a deep breath before pasting on a smile and turning to your friend, hands on hips.

“Hey, bud,” you chuckled. You really hoped it didn't sound as forced as you thought it did. “Sorry, just talkin' to Karma here.”

Morgan paused next to you, looking at the skeleton in question. You took a chance to glance at him, right as his brother came into the back. Morgan made a noise in the back of his throat.

“Man, that one is just as tall as that 90's nightmare and Crooks, ain't he?” he muttered.

“Morgs, meet Karma and Justice,” you said, waving your hand at them.

Neither of them looked pleased to see how close Morgan had gotten to you. Justice's sockets narrowed and his hands seemed to twitch, as though he was trying to restrain himself. Karma had stepped back to his brother, but his socket was on you, red almost the full dominant color of his eyelight. You swallowed as you turned Morgan suddenly, the temperature around the four of you having suddenly dropped tenfold.

“Alright, well, guys,” you said, shoving Morgan toward the stage, “enjoy the show!”

“Y/n.”

Justice's voice had you freezing a little. You nodded for Morgan to go onto the stage and turned to face Justice, who had come up behind you. A gloved hand reached out, moving a strand of hair away from your face gently. You felt your face heat up as he leaned down, masked mouth beside your ear – the one Karma didn't bite.

“I Just Wanted You To Know That Your Hair Looks Lovely,” he said softly. There was a sudden flash and you gasped as both pigtails were grabbed, firmly but gently. “They'd Make Fantastic Handlebars, Love.”

He let you go and you turned and dashed, heading for the stage. Your face must have resembled a tomato. When Morgan looked at you, you gave him a wide grin and rolled your eyes. He only smiled back.

You guys struck up almost instantly. The entire bar watched you. You were in the zone as soon as they started. You danced around the stage, nudging against Isaiah and Terrence. Your mood was lifted by miles, and you laughed with your friends as you felt the eyelights of your bondmates and friends on you.

You sent them a few waves, and you could see Zapfino through them all, cuddled up to Fresh. Her back was pressed against the wall, eyelights casting side to side. She met your gaze a couple of times and gave you an unsure or nervous smile. You sent her an encouraging wink and a thumbs up when you could as you moved around.

You almost tripped over your feet though, when your eyes landed on a familiar face you hadn't seen since Thanksgiving. Your ex was in the crowd, nursing a drink of dark amber. You swallowed the lump that suddenly rose to your throat as you thought back to that day, trying to keep yourself together as you smiled through.

But you felt his eyes on you the entire time. That's why, in between songs, you let Morgan know what was going on. He only grinned at you before glancing over your shoulder. You turned to look; Stretch, Mutt and Edge were already waiting to head up. Looked like you were singing with them again this week.

You guess you owed it to them, since you hadn't been able to do much with any of them with all of the crazy shit going on.

“Good luck, birdie,” Morgan murmured, giving you a hug before he and the other two left the stage, replaced with three of your boys.

“well, hello, honey,” Stretch chuckled, arms wrapping around your waist.

You laughed, hitting his clavicle. “Let me go, you big, sugar skulled pest!”

The crowd laughed as you dodged the boys. Once Edge and Mutt were ready to actually begin, Edge had tried to mess your hair up, Mutt had smacked your ass, and Stretch had successfully peppered your face in skeleton kisses.

You kept the mic away from your mouth though, as throughout the ordeal, you explained your ex was in the crowd. You only partially regretted it as all three boys got that mischievous glint to their eyes only Papyrus's were ever able to manage. You only managed to shake your head before Stretch was bringing you around.

“got the perfect song then,” he murmured against your temple.

You laughed a little as Mutt and Edge started up, and there seemed to be extra stuff playing from the DJ in the back. You only turned to him, in which he gave you a nod. You recognized the song, sure. You and Stretch had worked on it after you had gotten back from the Thanksgiving dinner. The two of you had danced well into the night, almost always silent and just leaning on each other.

_“Hmm, hmm_

_**(Stretch)** “I don't wanna be alone tonight **(Mutt)** (alone tonight)_   
_It's pretty clear that I'm not over you **(Mutt)** (over you, over you)_   
_I'm still thinking 'bout the things you do **(Mutt)** (things you do)_   
_So I don't wanna be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight_   
_Can you light the fire? **(Mutt)** (light the fire, light the fire)_   
_I need somebody who can take control ( **Mutt)** (take control)_   
_I know exactly what I need to do_   
_'Cause I don't wanna be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight_

_**(Stretch)** “Look what you made me do, I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_Look what you made me do, I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_Dancing with a stranger.”_

His voice carried the notes well. It was deep, raspy. It didn't sound like he was a smoker but it rasped, moving against your ears in the only way that could make you feel whole. He swayed beside you, his free hand moving with his words. He took your hand during the chorus, swinging you around. You caught sight of Serif cringing and you laughed as your verse started up.

_**(You)** “I wasn't even goin' out tonight (out tonight)_   
_But, boy, I need to get you off of my mind (off of my mind)_   
_I know exactly what I have to do_   
_I don't wanna be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight_

_“Look what you made me do, I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_Look what you made me do, I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_**(Both)** Dancing with a stranger_   
_**(Both)** Dancing with a stranger_   
_**(Stretch)** Dancing, yeah, ooh.”_

Your foot tapped with the beat, but you made to move around Stretch as you sang. You even went up to Mutt, who leaned down and kissed your cheek, not even breaking his own beat. You went to Edge, pressing your lips to his cheekbone. He sent you a smirk as you made your way back over to Stretch, who took your hand as the two of you sloppily danced together during the chorus once more.

_**(Stretch)** “ Look what you made me do (ooh),_

_I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_**(Both)** Look what you made me do,_

_I'm with somebody new_   
_Ooh, baby, baby, I'm dancing with a stranger_   
_**(You)** I'm dancing, I'm dancing **(Mutt)** (ooh)_   
_**(You)** I'm dancing, I'm dancing **(Stretch)** (dancing with a stranger)_   
_**(You)** I'm dancing, I'm dancing **(Stretch)** (dancing with a stranger)_   
_**(Mutt)** I'm dancing, I'm dancing **(You)** (dancing with a stranger).”_

You were spun in a circle before you were tugged against Stretch's chest. You laughed as he bent you back, one leg lifting in the air. As you shifted your other foot to balance yourself, Stretch bent down and pressed his teeth to your lips.

You let out a surprise little gasp as catcalls sounded off in the bar around you. Your arm tightened around his cervical vertebrae. Compared to some of the others, Stretch's kiss was tame, and you could taste the cigarette smoke and honey on him. The smell of him wrapped around you, and you inhaled deeply before you were brought back to both feet, Stretch moving away from you.

His eyelights were fuzzy as he winked down at you, the only sign to show he was even slightly flustered by what he did. You let out a little laugh as Edge and Mutt came up to stand next to you. And just like that, you were with three of the boys that meant the most to you.

Your eyes scanned the crowd, and you could see Keagan's eyes resting on you. You couldn't read his expression, and you didn't get the chance to try as you were yanked off stage. You were whirled and twirled around, and the smell of cocoa and macadamias gave way who it was.

Your laughter was drowned out by the talking of the other patrons around you. “Crooks, put me down!”

The tall skeleton placed you back on your feet, keeping you steady as you gave him a kiss on his cheek. He beamed down at you, a broken looking flush traveling across his cheekbones. He gave your head a gentle pat. You grinned up at him before you scurried off, heading toward Fresh and Zapfino toward the back of the tables that had been pushed together.

There was a glass in front of her, and as you came closer you could smell it. Vodka. Your nose crinkled a little bit as you plopped yourself in a chair beside them. Axe and Crooks were next to them as well, and Dusty wasn't too far off. But his eyelights were on Karma and Justice, who had taken up seats near Sans and the others.

“So, what did you guys think?” you asked, loud enough to be heard over the din of the bar.

“you were really bangin' up there, lil brosephine,” Fresh said, his hand stroking down Zapfino's arm.

“You sounded wonderful,” the female skeleton murmured, her eyelights on you while she tried to pull her hood over her skull some more.

Your heart strings tugged when her face twisted in displeasure. You really wanted to get her mask fixed, but you didn't know how to go about it. The only thing you knew about it was that it was ceramic. Which meant materials you didn't know how to work with. Maybe one of the boys could do something with it?

You'd have to ask around later. You ordered your own drink as Morgan came over, leaning on the back of your chair as the six of you talked. Zapfino was still a little iffy with Morgan, and didn't show the side of her skull that was injured, but she watched the way Axe and Morgan interacted. Fresh kept a strong hold on her, whispering to her every now and again when her eyelights got even shiftier.

You smiled a little watching them interact as you drank your alcohol. You laughed with the others and Morgan, leaning against Axe as Crooks messed with your hair, which you had pulled out of their pigtails at least twenty minutes ago. Edge had passed you his coat, which you had laid across your lap in case you got cold. You had a good buzz going, and you were laughing at something Fresh and Axe were talking about before the laughter from them cut off. And the weight from the back of your chair lifted.

You turned, expecting one of your boys or even the bar owner. Hell, you hadn't even seen Mettaton since he had wished you well, and told you that he would be in touch. Instead, you were met with your ex standing there, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips as he stared down at you, shifting from one foot to the other.

In fact, you realized all the boys around you had grown quiet. They all looked over to see him standing there, and four chairs scooted back as some of the boys stood. Your heart slammed in your chest and you swallowed the tiny lump growing in your throat as you looked up at him.

“Keagan.”

He gave you a tiny smile but jumped when Axe shifted behind you. You glanced over your shoulder, noting his single eyelight was focused on the human in front of the two of you. All eyelights were on him, so you leaned forward, shivering as the cool air hit your back after being snuggled against him for so long.

“What do you want?” you asked.

He scratched his cheek. “I was wondering if we could talk? Alone?”

Suddenly Serif was next to you, hand in your shoulder before you could even move to stand. Your head snapped to him, but his gaze was only for the human in front of him. His grip was tight on your shoulder. You winced, moving to pry his hand from you.

“i don't think that's a good idea,” Serif said, his voice a low snarl.

“who is this?” Axe gruffed out behind you, breath warm on your neck.

“I'm her ex,” Keagan said nonchalantly, shrugging as though it was no big deal. “And I'd like to talk to Y/n if that's possible.”

You finally managed to stand, narrowing your eyes up at him. He was still much taller than you, but you ignored the feeling in your gut as you turned to the others with a smile. Axe didn't say anything else, just pulled out his pack of smokes, pulling one out and handing it to you. You took it gratefully, taking the lighter he gave you before you sauntered off out of the building.

The buzz you'd had going was fading slowly, and you didn't turn to see if Keagan was following you. If anything, you just wanted to tell him to leave you alone, and leave your family alone. Your father was divorcing your mother, and after what happened all those years ago, there was no way in hell your dad would let this man back into your life. For the love of the stars, he left you for money.

What more did he want from you?

When you made it outside, you shrugged on the coat Edge had given you. You zipped it up right as Keagan made it out of the bar, glaring at the door as you lit your cigarette.

“So what do you want?” you asked, glancing at him, blowing smoke out through your nose. “In case you didn't realize, I was having fun with my friends and bondmates.”

Keagan lit his own cigarette, rolling his eyes as he pocketed his lighter and took the filter from his mouth, blowing out his own smoke. Though it was dark and the streetlamps dimmed all the color, you could still see the piercing blue that was his eyes. The same blue that had you falling in love all that time ago.

You leaned against the wall of the building, snuggling into the leather of Edge's coat. He had mentioned it was infused with magic for you, letting the material stay warm even in the frozen cold that was outside. You blew out another flume of smoke as he seemed to gather his thoughts.

“I'm sorry,” he said gruffly, glancing off to the side. “About Thanksgiving. Didn't realize you and your mom were that at odds.”

You scoffed. Your eyes could have bugged out of your skull at the words he just spewed. “You didn't...” You let out a bark of laughter. “You and I were together for three years, Key. There is no way in hell you didn't see it sooner.”

He only shrugged. “I guess I just thought it was you and her being the regular mother and daughter duo.”

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever. Is that all? My bondmates and friends are waiting for me.”

You went to throw the dead cigarette away from you, pushing yourself from the wall and turning to go back inside. But his hand on your arm stopped you. You whirled back around to snap at him, anger from the past flaring up in you.

You ripped your arm away from him, scowling. But he didn't let up as he tossed his still smoking cigarette away from the two of you. He grabbed you once more, gently bringing you away from the door as a couple of patrons came through. They paused, eyeing Keagan holding you. They knew who you were always with, and they didn't recognize your ex. You gave them a smile, nodding at them a little.

They turned and walked away, talking in low voices. You turned your glare to Keagan once more, and again, ripping your arm away from him. He let you go this time. But his entire demeanor had changed. He was looking down at the ground now, kicking at the pavement with the toe of his shoes. It reminded you of a kicked puppy, and you were instantly on alert.

This is the same move he'd pull when he wanted something. It was always the same way with him, and it had only gotten worse when the money started making a bigger impact on your relationship with him. Your eyes narrowed as your teeth ground together.

“What is it, Keagan?” you snapped.

“Come back to me.”

If you had your drink with you, you would have done a spit take. You stopped breathing for a moment, holding your breath as he looked up at you. Blue eyes pleaded with you as you felt like all the air had been sucked from your lungs.

“Keagan, there is no way–”

He stepped forward, holding his arms out as he looked at you. “Please, Y/n. I didn't know what I was doing all those years ago. I wasn't thinking right, and I let the money cloud my vision. We were so good together, Y/n. Please, baby...”

Without warning, the door next to you burst open, smacking into the wall hard as something flew from the now open doorway. You let out a shriek, tripping over your feet as you moved away. You were caught easily, the smell of iron and cedar drifting over you.

You looked over to see Axe helping you to stand upright, his eyelight never leaving from over your head. Your head swiveled back around to look again over at the scene playing out in front of you, and you felt your face pale.

There was a chair sitting broken on the pavement next to where Keagan had been standing a few seconds ago. Your eyes traveled over to see Justice strolling out the door of the bar, simply ducking as you heard Karma laughing and another chair being thrown toward Keagan. You let out a shocked breath of air.

Karma came out of the door next, wielding a broken chair leg, twirling it between his phalanges. You knew if he could whistle, he would be doing that while approaching to stand beside his brother. While Justice looked calm, phalanges on one hand stroking over his mask in contemplation, his sockets were narrowed, eyelights pinpricks within the darkness.

Karma's eyelight, however, was a deep, blood red. His socket not sewn shut was wide as his head tilted. His grin was stretching on both sides, and you could see the threads through his teeth being stretch to their max. You winced when he didn't even look your way, but Justice did.

“Y/n, Could You Come Here?”

You looked over to Axe, who nodded, giving your temple a loving nuzzle before moving you along. You slowly made your way over to Justice, gripping the sleeves of Edge's coat just a little tighter. When you got close enough to Justice, he reached out to grab you. He pulled you closer to him, moving so the two of you were standing back to rib cage. He towered over you, and you felt so tiny next to him.

Your eyes locked on Keagan's. He looked scared, but also confused. You could feel your boys moving out of the bar behind you, letting the door close. You could smell them around you, their scents mingling together. But the one that stuck out the strongest was Justice's. The smell of smoked wood – something akin to a campfire – and gunpowder dominated your senses.

“listen, buddy.” Karma's voice made you jump a little. “i really hope you weren't just expectin' us to stand by while you tried to weasel your way back into y/n's good graces.”

“I wasn't–”

“no need to lie, _buddy_ ,” Axe said on your other side. You looked over to see him coming out of the shadows, hands shoved in his pockets. “we could all hear you, and let me tell ya, none of us are too happy.”

“While I Always Try To Believe There's Good In Everyone, You Knew She Was With Us, and Yet You Still Tried To Take Her,” you heard Papyrus said softly. “And That's Not Okay, Human.”

“Far From It,” Edge snarled. “You're Lucky I Don't Bash Your Skull Into The Pavement.”

“He's Lucky I Don't Cut Him Down,” Black grumbled.

“Are you threatening me?” Keagan demanded now, his eyes narrowed on the skeletons around me.

“Keagan–”

“Is this okay to you, Y/n?” he asked, rounding on you now. You flinched back into Justice, whose arms tightened around you. You could see Karma gripping the chair leg a little tighter, fixing his stance so he could step between you and Keagan. “That they threaten whoever they want just because someone tries to talk to you?”

You glared now, your eyes narrowing as you took a subconscious step forward. Justice still held firm, but Karma was side eyeing you, that blood red light focused on your face. The others just laughed around you or chuckled, shaking their heads. Even Fresh and Zapfino looked a little amused. You ignored them, the feeling of claws digging into the flesh of your hips keeping you grounded.

“It's not okay with me,” you snapped. “What's also not okay with me is you trying to come back into my life after you willingly left me!”

“I did it for us, Y/n!” Keagan snapped now.

“man, that's cliché as fuck,” Sin chuckled.

The sent the others into laughter, even Justice and Karma. There were some silent chuckles from Zapfino and Fresh was wheezing as his hand covered his face. You narrowed your eyes at your ex but almost cringed back.

His gaze was like ice as he stared down at you. You gently pushed off Justice's arms from around your waist and stepped up to Kegean. Or, as well as you could. He was still quite a bit taller than you. And you sucked in a deep breath, your eyes sharp as your lip curled.

“You left me for money. I'm with my friends and bondmates. Please leave me alone,” you snarled quietly.

He didn't say anything, just stared at you for a moment with narrowed eyes before he opened his mouth.

“You really are a whore, aren't you?”

There was only one second to process everything before all hell broke loose.

You were ripped away from Keagan, the smell of eucalyptus overpowering you. Dusty brought you close to his chest as loud laughter filled the air and you could hear your ex cursing up a storm. You struggled in Dusty's grasp, listening as he grunted and cursed.

“lilac, please, ya need to calm down,” he whispered to you.

“Let me–”

You finally managed to get a peek over his shoulder and you could have fainted on the spot. All of your more violent boys were being held back by the softer ones. But one thing you noticed was the smoke escaping from underneath the mask Justice wore and the dilated red eyelight in Karma's socket as he swung the broken chair leg at Keagan.

“Guys, stop!”

None of them seemed to hear you. Dusty's grip on you tightened as you as you struggled in his hold. Your brain told you to go to them, to get them stop. Even as Keagan ducked one final time before throwing you a glance and turning on his heel. With a quickness you had seen many times before, he was gone, running down the street.

Karma snarled, his head tilting as he broke the chair leg in half. The smoke continued to seep from under the mask, Justice's gloved hands twitching as he took a step in the direction where Keagan had run. Your brain almost shut down entirely as you struggled harder, trying to break free of Dusty's grasp.

But he held strong, nuzzling against your temple while talking to you quietly. You didn't hear anything he said as you watched Karma and Justice look at each other before turning their heads back in the direction Keagan ran.

“Please, don't–”

Your voice, choked on panicked tears, brought Karma and Justice's attentions to you. Dusty held you up as you stopped fighting and all the boys started to come stand around you, some panicked and others trying to calm their brothers down. You were surrounded as everyone tried to be next to you, running their phalanges through your hair and running hands over your face and clothes.

But your eyes never left the two newest additions to your life. They were _seething_. You just knew that under the seemingly calm facade they had, they were burning with anger underneath. You could hear bones rattling, and it sounded like there was something humming? Like when you clinked two metal pieces of something together.

You didn't dwell on it as you reached out a hand for them, sucking in a breath. This had been such a good day so far, a good way to relax from the studies from school and the stress of all the added people in your life. But of course, someone had to come along and ruin it. Your eyes filled with tears again as irritation swept through you.

You felt the hand that took yours. You could feel the gentle tug that brought you out of Dusty's hold. You were brought into an embrace that had you clutching the clothes of the person holding you. You buried your face into the clothes, sucking in a deep breath as you fought off the wave of tears.

“you're gonna be okay, pumpkin,” you heard Karma murmuring in your ear. “it's okay to feel frustrated. everything will be just fine.”

You really hoped that was the case.

**

You were put in bed and tucked in. Once everyone was sure you were sleeping peacefully, Dusty and Sin made their way home, telling everyone they'd be by soon. Sans had the others convene in the living room, sitting in a chair off to the side. His brother was in the kitchen, getting everyone drinks of their preference before bustling back into the living room and passing everything out.

“What Was That Cretin Doing There?” Edge demanded, eye sockets narrowed.

When you had left with your ex out of the building, the others had rounded on the four who had gone with you to the Thanksgiving dinner. After some minor nagging from their brothers, they had spilled it was your ex. Morgan had only shook his head and mentioned some stuff about him that had Karma and Justice heated enough to throw a chair at the door.

Red had opened the door with his magic just in time for it to fly out and almost hit you and your ex. Luckily, Axe had seen the move coming.

“i couldn't tell ya, edge,” Sans sighed, running a hand down his skull. “he wasn't supposed to be there.”

“we thought he'd have gone home,” Serif grumbled irritably. “he definitely didn't seem like the type of guy to try and get back to her.”

Zapfino sat forward in her seat. “Look, whatever the case, he was there. She obviously wasn't expecting it.”

“We're Not Worried About If She Knew He Was There Or Not,” Blueberry murmured, his eyelights dimmed. “We Trust Y/n Fully.”

Zapfino scoffed, but Fresh easily placed a hand over her teeth, shaking his head. She glared at him, but said nothing as she glared at the others around her. None of the others seemed to catch on as Red and Edge glanced at the stairs.

“whatever th' case,” Red grunted, “he's here. an' i don't fuckin' trust 't.”

“Do You Think It Has To Do With Her Mother?” Crooks asked, wringing his hands together. “They Did Mention There Was Some...Issues.”

Edge glowered a little, but didn't make mention that you had told him all of this already. He'd simply had to put on an act. Heaven forbid it came forth he knew shit already. The others that weren't there would get jealous and then probably hound you more.

“i'd bet anything it has something to do with her,” Stretch commented, a lollipop stem between his teeth. “we definitely didn't leave a good taste in her mouth.”

“From The Sound Of It, She Didn't Leave A Good Impression Either,” Justice commented, leaning against the back of the couch with his hip.

Karma chuckled. “she can get a taste of some brass knuckles.”

“i wouldn't suggest that,” Axe muttered, glaring a little at the pair. “she's already on y/n's case enough.”

Black huffed, crossing his arms over his sternum and placing one leg over the other. “If That Vile Woman Has Something To Say, Then Why Doesn't She Come To Us And Say It Herself?”

Sans shrugged. “from the way she's always described her mother – and from the impression i got – she'd rather send someone to do her dirty work than get her own hands filthy.”

He spat the words out, his teeth twisted into a snarl. The others merely watched him, their own eyelights fuzzy. While most were romantic bondmates, some were platonic. But there was a silent, collective agreement where everyone thought the same thing.

They were going to protect you. Be it from an ex, your mother or the world itself, it didn't matter. They were going to protect you, and involve you in some shenanigans along the way.

Everyone was so lost in their own thoughts, no one noticed the way Karma and Justice shared a look for only a millisecond. Karma rose from his seat, stretching a little. The threads in his knees stretched the tiniest bit, and could feel the pins in his soul humming as his soul thumped in his chest. Justice merely straightened his clothes so they didn't brush against the pins in his spine.

“We Are Going To Retire For The Night,” Justice murmured. “If Something Happens, We'll Know.”

They ignored the way Red seemed to scoff and mutter something to the skeletons nearest to him. He ignored the look Zapfino sent them, particularly to Karma, as they walked away and headed up to the third floor to their room.

Karma stopped by the door to your room. The door was closed, but he could still hear your soft snores. The sound seemed to appease a part of him he hadn't touched base with in a long time. His phalanges brushed against the wood for a mere second before his brother was by his side, hand on his shoulder.

“I Know How You Feel, Brother. Come. We Will Check On Her Throughout The Night.”

Karma didn't say nothing, but he did move his shoulder. His brother's hand fell from his shoulder and Karma brushed by him, eyelight looking back at once more to your door before he moved past Zapfino and Fresh's room and into theirs, leaving the door open for his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keagan: _*exists*_  
>  Karma & Justice: we can change that.


	33. A Day Out With Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all the chaos in life, you decide it's time to get to know two platonic skeletons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry the update is so late; I've been battling some heavy issues lately. My Mamaw's one year anniversary is tomorrow since she passed. So I won't be writing; which means the next update could be kind of late as well. But it'll be there.
> 
> Enjoy!<3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Here](https://lollipopskele.tumblr/com/)
> 
> Want A Good Read?  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab With Siren:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363)
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [This ~~cult~~ chaotic mayhem!](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

Christmas was a couple of weeks away. Finals were finally over, and you could relax. Your entire body hurt from how tense you had been during your finals, and the others could tell. While you had been busy, Sans, Fresh and Zapfino had gone to look at a couple of the cottages in the back. There was one they both liked more than the others, and with the help of the less lazy of the bunch, the cottage was renovated.

It was now big enough neither of them had to duck into the house or a room, but you would probably have to climb on the surfaces like a child. It was fine with you, though, and you were happy Sans took the time to help them out.

No one brought up Keagan's visit to the bar, but it was on the back of your mind. It was like a virus, and you were beginning to lose sleep over it. You were tossing and turning at night, often muttering and deciding to sit by the window and watch the snow outside until you were tired enough to try and sleep again.

You couldn't help but think that your mother had something to do with his visit. She knew you and Morgan went to that bar; you had mentioned it before when she had asked you to come visit during the weekend. You had even invited her, and she had turned it down with the quickest “no” you'd ever heard uttered.

Karma and Justice were fitting in a little better. But the others kept them at a distance, and there was always one other skeleton with you when you were with those two. You felt bad about it, but you weren't going to say anything yet. You were going to try and get them out with you alone one of these days, on some kind of weird, impromptu date.

Mettaton had called you, stating that you and Morgan could come in after the new year started, and you had agreed readily. You had damn near screeched from joy as you bounced around the house excited.

Now, you were sitting by your window, staring out into the snow, trying to put together why Keagan would try something so bold. Sure, that was his actual personality. But he had left you. He had left you for a sum of money that got him where he wanted to go in life. He had caused this rift, and even then...

You paused, your eyes flitting to Blueberry and Papyrus throwing snowballs at Tango and Crooks. Sans and Axe were looking at something, though they were spaced far apart. Stretch was relaxing in a tree that he had shaken off with his magic. Edge and Blackberry were arguing over something with another one of the cottages. You smiled, watching as Mutt simply laid in a branch opposite Stretch.

Keagan had caused the rift, but as you watched your boys outside, and thought of the others that were around you...what would have happened? What would have happened if you and Keagan were still together, and you found out Sans and Papyrus and their other selves were here, and they were all bondmates of some kind?

You shook your head, smile falling a little. There was no need to think on it; that wasn't the scenario, and you weren't put in that position. There was no need to dwell on it. So instead, you turned away from the window and went back to your desk. You started putting notes and stuff aside, moving things into drawers and grumbling as you took your laptop and paused.

It was pretty old, and you knew it was about time you got a new one. This poor thing couldn't handle another semester with you in school. Not with the constant restarts and force shut downs it did to itself. You were reluctant, but you knew it was time for you to retire this one and go to the store to get a new one.

You sighed, taking it and its charger cord, putting it away in your desk as a backup before you grabbed your house keys, phone and wallet. You should have enough saved up from your old job and this job to get a decent one. So you left your room, shutting the door and making your way downstairs to the first floor.

You were putting on your shoes as someone came out of the dining room. You looked over to see Zapfino running a hand down the uninjured side of her face. You watched as she moved toward the back door to head back out into the snow before a light bulb went off in your head.

“Hey, Zapfino?”

Your voice was a little soft, but it was still loud enough for her to catch. Zapfino turned to look at you, and you noticed that, while it still didn't look put back together, someone had managed to get some of the pieces together to cover the parts of her face she didn't like about herself.

Which was sad. You thought Zapfino was a beautiful skeleton. Fresh was lucky to have her.

“What's up?” she asked, hand on the handle to the back door.

You almost faltered, but you cleared your throat and motioned for the front door.

“So, I'm heading out to buy a new laptop. Would you and Fresh like to...come with?” you asked, your voice catching. “I haven't really had time to spend with just you two in a bit, and I'd like to get to know you two just a little more. About where you two came from.”

Zapfino seemed to pause with this, having some kind of internal battle. You fidgeted with your keys as you waited, swallowing a little and giving her a smile.

“You don't have to,” you said. “I was gonna ask one of the boys to take me to my hometown so I could go shopping there. The store out that way is a lot better than the store in town.”

“No, that's fine,” Zapfino finally said. “If Fresh is coming, I think it'll be good. I just...I get a lot of anxiety around a lot of people.”

You smiled. “I understand. I do, too, actually. That's why I usually have my headphones with me, but if you guys want to come with, it would be pretty great.”

Fresh came into the room at that moment, heading right Zapfino as he waved at you absently. He nuzzled against her, asking her something quietly. She smiled and nodded at him before she told him your idea. He looked over at you, his glasses reading “SWE-ET” before he nodded a little.

“sounds good, lil brosephine,” he agreed.

Your entire body seemed to deflate as you got your phone out, tapping on it and texting Sans as quick as you could. Once the message was sent, you waved them over. Sans appeared next to you then, leaning on you as he groaned.

“Tired?” you hummed, reaching over to grab your coat.

“hm. workin' with axe tends to wear me out since he doesn't remember much.” He yawned, moving off of you as he jingled the keys to something in his pocket. “black said we could borrow his jeep since these two won't fit in paps's car.”

You rose a brow as you looked at them. “You two ready now or do we need to wait?”

They shared a look for a moment before they nodded, and headed toward you. You bounced a little on your feet, excitement searing through you as you put your coat on. Once everything was settled, you four made your way to the Jeep, where you hopped into the front seat. As Sans got into the driver's seat, Fresh and Zapfino were outside, talking quietly for a moment.

You didn't hear what they were saying, but you could tell from the way Zapfino was moving side to side and the way her hand constantly reached for Fresh's, you figured she was nervous. Hell, you've done this kind of trip a few times, you were always around crowds, but even you were always some kind of nervous wreck before, during, and after dealing with large crowds of people.

After a couple minutes, the car had warmed up and Zapfino and Fresh made their way into the car. Once everyone was good to go, Sans gave the car one honk to let the others know you were leaving before you were driving down the driveway and toward the highway.

It was quiet for a few moments, the radio playing softly in the background and your gaze turned toward the snow piled outside. It was supposed to snow at some point again today, but you weren't sure when. You fidgeted a little in your seat, your anxiety gnawing at you.

You were heading back home. Or well, toward home. You hadn't been this way since Thanksgiving, and you didn't know if rumors had start flowing around the neighborhood yet. Chances are if there were, you were going to be asked a whole bunch of questions. Questions you weren't ready to answer.

You jumped a little when Sans reached out his hand, his fingers intertwining with yours. He merely gave you a two second glance with an easy smile before he focused back on the road. He was telling Fresh something, but you weren't sure what. You were just happy he seemed a little more at...ease with Fresh around.

Granted, all the boys kept their distance from Fresh – though they still never told you why. And you didn't want to outright ask Fresh. That just sounded like a bad idea to you. But you could tell, the more often that they saw him not going after any of them and just generally keeping to himself and with Zapfino, the more they seemed to relax.

Or something like it.

The ones like Mutt and Red were still often hostile with him. Fresh never did anything back, but he did avoid Red and Mutt the most. You couldn't say you blamed him any, truthfully.

The closer you got to your hometown, the more your leg would bounce. Or the more you kept fidgeting with your hair. You weren't worried about your mother or brothers being out on the town; they hated leaving the house for anything they considered “too mundane” – which was basically everything – but you were still worried about people coming up to you and asking questions.

Today was supposed to be about you, Fresh and Zapfino. It was a friend date, and you were going to make it a good one. You were going to get to know them the best you could, and you were going to let them know you. Sure the three of you had hung out before, but it was mostly silly questions and you giving random facts about you. They never really mentioned anything about themselves.

Of course, you also wanted to know about the holes in Zapfino's head; but you weren't going to be a total bitch and outright demand she tell you.

You sucked in a sharp breath as Sans got off the interstate, chuckling at something Fresh said. You were too wrapped up in your mind. You needed to get out of this state before it affected your whole day. Sure, you could be worried. But you were here to spend time with these two.

Sans drove to the electronics store that was attached to the city's mall. When he parked in front, Fresh and Zapfino got out quickly. They must not do well in enclosed spaces. You turned to thank Sans for driving you when you were pulled in for a kiss.

Teeth on lips had your heart racing, but you could feel yourself melting. A little smile as you pulled away and you leaned your forehead against his as you let out a shaky sigh.

“you got this, princess,” he murmured. “we're here for ya, okay? if anything happens, or ya need anything, let one of us know, yeah?”

“I will. Thanks, Sans,” you murmured.

One more chaste kiss and you left the car, nearly running to catch up to Fresh and Zapfino. They were holding hands and waiting for you by the doors. You turned to wave to Sans, who gave a honk and a wave back before he drove off, letting the next car take his spot to drop someone off. You smiled a little before turning on your heel and heading to the other two.

The three of you made your way inside and you instantly noticed the way people stared at them. You glared a little to every eye you caught. Some people looked away quickly with growing red faces, and others – the more uppity people nearby – just gave a huff and a roll of the eyes.

_Look, Linda, maybe you should roll your eyes a little harder to find a brain back there, yeah?_

You motioned them to follow you, but you noticed Zapfino's only showing eyelight was looking all over the place. From the TVs in the back to the video game racks you passed. At one point, she stopped and you could hear a quiet gasp. You turned to look and saw she had focused on a pair of LED headphones that had cat ears on them. You smiled a little.

“You guys can take a look around for yourselves,” you said. “I'll be right over there–” You pointed to where the laptops were at. “–so if you need me, you can come find me, alright?”

Fresh chuckled as Zapfino looked at another pair of headphones. “sounds good, lil brospehine. we'll be 'round when z gets her fill.”

“Fresh, look at these–!”

You chuckled and moved away from them to jog over to the laptops. As usual, there was someone back there ready to help someone who needed it. You gave the guy a wave, letting him know when he asked if you had a question, you would let him know. With a smile and a nod, you made your way through the aisles, humming to yourself.

You carefully looked over the specs of each laptop, a small smile on your face as you recalled when you and Sans had come here to get the last one you had. He had told you a whole bunch of knowledge you hadn't even thought to think of when it came to getting a laptop. But now that you knew, you knew there was one you really wanted.

It was something simple – didn't need anything too fancy since it was only going to be used for school purposes. So long as it had a word document, spreadsheets and a thing to make presentations along with internet access, you were set to go. But the other issue was finding one in your price range.

It was a bit smaller than the last time you got yourself a laptop, but you managed to find a decent one. Throughout looking for a laptop, you kept glancing around, looking for Zapfino and Fresh. Your smile never faded when you saw them. Zapfino, in all of her tall skeleton glory, was like a kid in a candy store.

This is the first time you'd ever seen her truly animated. You leaned against the display counter, smiling as you watched her moving from one end of the store to the next. Her words didn't reach you, but there were dual colored magics covering her cheeks, and her showing eyelight was practically sparkling as she moved around.

Fresh took it all in stride, as though he had expected it. You chuckled when he had to gently pull her away from something so another family could try it out. The kids were awed at the sheer size of the skeletons, and their mother just merely looked amused as she watched Zapfino move off to the next exciting thing.

But you stood up straight, eyes narrowed when you watched as a worker in the store approached the two of them. Your guard was instantly up and you tapped a nail on the counter, counting the taps in your head.

Instantly, you watched as the childlike wonder Zapfino had was sapped away. Fresh brought her to him, noticing her change in demeanor when the worker stopped in front of them and started saying something.

This wasn't going to fuckin' fly.

You pushed from the counter, having gotten to thirty taps before you made your way to where the worker was now berating your friends. You didn't hear the worker behind you calling out for you. You didn't care to hear him. If he wasn't going to help, then he could stay out of the way, too.

You came close enough to hear what the guy was saying.

“...ple aren't comfortable with you moving around the store like you are,” the worker said, his voice stern but quiet. “If you could wait for your friend outside of the store–”

“I'm right here,” you seethed as you stepped in front of Fresh and Zapfino. “And quite frankly, this is disgusting behavior.”

The worker sputtered for a moment, clearly thrown off from you appearing from seemingly nowhere. You felt a little swell of pride for a moment before you placed one hand on your hip as the man in front of you tried to get his bearings together.

“I-I apologize, miss,” he said. “There were just some people complaining about your friend here running around–”

“Okay, and children literally do it all the time,” you interrupted him, holding your hand up to pause him. “I'm not trying to be like any regular Karen, but I'm not going to have you singling out my friends just because, why? They're a little taller than the normal monster or human?”

You heard Fresh scoff. “try it bein' _because_ we're monsters, lil brospehine.”

Your eyes narrowed into near slits as the man sputtered once more. His face was growing increasingly red, and his eyes were darting all over the store. There was sweat beading on his forehead, and you kept your stance as nonthreatening as possible when you saw someone in a different colored shirt coming toward the four of you.

Great, a manager. Now you felt like a Karen.

When the manager paused next to her worker, she calmly asked what the problem seemed to be. She listened to the man, listening as he rambled and sputtered over his words. You noticed that not once did he look your way at all, even while motioning to the three of you.

You didn't want to, but if you had to start throwing your name around just to get someone to listen to you, you would. It was the last tactic you could think of if they didn't listen. You were getting pretty sick and tired of this, and you were gearing yourself up for the woman to tell you to leave when she turned to look at you.

But she didn't. Instead she asked your side. When you explained you had only just come over moments before, she looked to Zapfino, offering a kind smile and a slightly tilted head. In the softest voice you think you'd heard uttered, the woman calmly asked Zapfino what seemed to be the issue.

You caught the woman's attention by saying, “She...she tends to be pretty nervous when new people ask her things, or talk to her, so she won't say anything. She doesn't know you very well, so maybe if she could tell her husband, or if her husband could speak for her...?”

“Oh, of course!” the woman said, nodding. “I just want to know what's going on so I can take appropriate action, you know?”

“Of course,” you said, nodding. You turned to look at Fresh. He grinned down at you, three question marks on each of his lenses. You nodded at him.

“lemme break it down for ya,” he said, looking at the woman. His glasses were back to the “YOLO”. “ya workin' boy over here decided that my boo and i were causin' a ruckus in the store and came over here to diss us. tellin' us we had to bounce and shizz because we were scarin' kids and makin' people nervous.”

You glanced around you, as did the manager. No one was really paying the skeletons any mind, except a few kids who were pointing and asking questions to their parents about what kind of monsters they were, or asking if they were really the walking dead. The mothers and fathers seemed to get a kick out of it. Other than that, no one was even minding your business.

You looked to the man, who was wringing his hands together nervously, but you could see the look on his face. He knew he had just fucked up.

“my boo hasn't really seen technology before,” Fresh mentioned, which you perked up at. “sure the occasional phone and shizz, but nothin' fancy and stuff like laptops and cat earred headphones and all that.”

The woman nodded along as Fresh spoke, and you took a peek at Zapfino. She was practically trying to bury herself in Fresh's clothes. You went over to her as Fresh kept talking. You took her hand, which still had the gloves on them. You smiled at her as you took one of hers in both of yours. You caught her showing eyelight.

“It's alright, Z,” you said softly. “I told you before, I got you. I will always be here, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?”

She only nodded at you, her eyelight wavering a little in her socket before you heard the woman clear her throat. You turned to face her, but kept Zapfino's hand in one of yours as you faced off. The manager looked thoroughly apologetic as she looked at the three of you.

“I just want to buy a laptop,” you said quietly. “I didn't know my friend here hadn't been around too much tech. I guess she just got excited.”

“I understand,” the manager said. “And I am deeply sorry for the way my worker here called your friends out. He will be dealt with accordingly. Please, let me see which laptop you're getting. Maybe I can give you some kind of discount on it for the problems caused today.”

Your eyes widened. “Oh, no, that's okay, really.”

The woman smiled. “Please. Let me help. I have a few monster friends myself who have dealt with the discrimination.”

Your heart got caught in your throat as you nodded. You managed to convince Fresh to take Zapfino to see the tablets, which she had apparently been on her way to see. When he managed to get her away, you and the woman made your way over to the laptop you had been looking at. You explained you were a student and just needed the basics.

“Oh, I see,” she murmured. She then moved to one about three spaces over. “I would suggest this one, personally. My son uses this for his classes, and it's served him well. We've actually had a few issues with the one you were looking at, but the company won't let us _not_ sell them.” She rolled her eyes.

“Sounds stupid,” you uttered.

She gave a small laugh. “That's what I told them, but here we are. So, whaddaya say?”

You gave one more look at the computer she was suggesting, running your fingers over the keys and tapping on them a few times. It would definitely work for you, so you went with it. She had the guy manning the front of the section come over and open up the bottom, bringing out the model you wanted before you followed the manager back up to the front.

The two of you talked and you explained how this was supposed to be some sort of friend date to try and get to know those two better. She gave you a whole list of monster friendly places in the mall, including places to go to lunch. She even gave you the admittedly much shorter list of places to avoid with your friends.

“This place is mostly monster friendly, despite the richer, upper class folk thinking the monsters are beneath them,” she commented as she rang your purchase through. “Don't be mindful of them. Just old folk with nothing better to do.”

You smiled and thanked her more than once for her help and took both lists, tucking them in the back pocket of your jeans. Taking your new purchase with you, you went off in search of Zapfino and Fresh, both of whom were still at the tablets.

While you could see Zapfino excitedly experimenting with the tablet in front of her, checking out some of the stuff that she could do on there. You could see there was still some tension in her shoulders, even as she huddled close to Fresh. You frowned, trying to think of some way to try and help her.

On the longer list you were given, there were a few restaurants that were very monster friendly. You looked through them before humming to yourself and deciding that you would let them walk around and see stuff they wanna see before you went to eat with them. There was still stuff she wanted to see inside the store anyway.

You just wanted to see that childlike wonder come back. She looked so ecstatic to be around so much technology. You jogged over to them, smiling as Fresh looked over to you.

“hey, lil brosephine,” he murmured as he turned his head back to Zapfino. “ready to bounce?”

You shook your head. “Nah, I figured we could let Z roam around and look at some more stuff before we left. She looked hella happy to be around.”

She turned to you, smiling a little. You gave a small smile back and bounced the rest of the way over to them, pointing out some things she had missed on the tablet in front of her. You could see the happiness coming back to her slowly. The excitement was making its way back to your friend and it was affecting you.

Your laughs were a little louder, and your smile a little wider. Fresh kept his eyes on the two of you, but didn't make anymore comments other than random noises. You chuckled to yourself as you moved to different tablets, showing her the similarities and differences in each one. You grinned when her eyelight practically glittered when you told her there were some fridges that had some touch screens on them. You immediately went to show her.

The rest of the time was moving around the store to show her the different kinds of speakers and computers. She was constantly asking questions and pointing out different things that you would explain. And not a single person bothered you.

When Zapfino had finally had her fill, you moved to the exit that brought you into the rest of the mall. It was a pretty big place, considering where it was located. You threw your arms out on either side of you, turning to them with a smile.

“So! Since today is about learning about you, why don't we wander and just see where our feet take us?” you suggested.

Fresh chuckled. “sounds bomb, lil brosephine.”

Zapfino nodded, but her eyelight was now wandering around the mall. People were milling about, adults and children all over the place. She was trying to sink further into Fresh's hoodie, but you snagged her own hoodie sleeve between two fingers, smiling at her gently when her attention snapped to you.

“Don't worry,” you said. “When you wanna leave, I'll call Sans. Okay?”

She nodded stiffly, but some of tension left her as Fresh wrapped his arm around her shoulders. You gave her a small smile and moved your hand. After a moment of deliberation, they chose to go off to the left, and you followed easily as you skipped along with them.

You were in a fairly decent mood. You moved around, making sure to keep track of Fresh and Zapfino, though that wasn't hard to do. Fresh was almost as tall as Crooks and Justice, and Zapfino was at least a little shorter than that. So they were easy to spot, and they definitely cleared the way as you walked along with them.

They stopped to stare into a few stores, and it reminded you of your Halloween trip to the mall. A fond smile appeared on your face as you remembered the way Edge and some of the others had been so horrified over the prospect of naked skeletons. Or the shriek he had emitted when he found one by his door.

You thought back on that day affectionately. It had also been the day you met Guy and Buddy. You could recall thinking about how they had resembled your boys, just with skin and muscle and regular human functions. The way you had almost kissed Stretch. The way Serif and Tango were so excited about seeing the speakers for their studio.

Some of the boys had been so stand offish. You scrunched your nose at the memory of Edge being so callous with you. Granted, he still tended to be, but he was much better than he was then. If only by a teeny bit.

“Are you okay, Y/n?”

Zapfino's voice brought you out of the memories and you let out a chuckle, nodding.

“Yeah, I'm alright. Was just remembering the one trip I took with everyone before the secrets poured out...”

As you walked, you told them the stories about how you had come to the mall for Halloween. Both Fresh and Zapfino seemed to get a kick out of Edge and the naked skeleton debacle. Fresh even high fived you for putting one by his door. Zapfino nudged you a little with her elbow, her grin wide as her eyelight sparkled.

You really did love the color of her eyelight. Hell, both colors were pretty. They just seemed to fit her, much like the boys with their own magic. You never failed to marvel at how much magic amazed you. You don't think you would ever tire of it, even if you were eighty years old and seeing their neat little tricks.

At some point, the three of you migrated to the food court. There were so many to choose from, but you pulled out the list to see which ones were good for them to go to. You didn't want them to have another issue with humans; hell, _you_ didn't want anymore issues. If someone said something to them, you were sure you were going to get arrested for assault.

You three decided on some taco joint. You made your way over to it and placed your order. Despite them saying they could pay for themselves, you took the reins; after all, you invited them. It only seemed fair you pay for their food for the day.

Once the food was put on a tray and handed over the counter, the three of you made your way to a table and sat, divvying up the food and making small talk.

Finally, you couldn't take it.

“So, what's it like where you guys are from?” you finally asked around a bite of a taco. “Like, you guys mentioned you're from some different dimension or some crazy shit like that.”

He chuckled while Zapfino wore a timid smile, her eyelight still moving around to take in surroundings. You had chosen a place by the windows, letting her lean against a wall so no one could sneak her. She could see everything and everyone from her position.

“I guess you could call it a dimension,” she mused, looking at her husband. “I think Ink would get a kick out of that.”

“Ink?”

Zapfino sent you a grin. “My brother in law. Funny guy, I tell you, for a soulless monster.”

You blinked, opened your mouth, and then promptly closed it. You would ask the questions later. You were more focused on learning about them rather than their family. You'd learn about them along the way, you were sure.

“Okay, so...dimension thing.”

“aight, so,” Fresh said, leaning forward, “ya know how z an' i are huge compared t' ya boys?”

You nodded slowly.

“It's because the 'grouping' of universes we come from, they're all around Fresh's size,” Zapfino said. Your eyes snapped to her as she narrowed her socket. “I'm actually considered the shortest of them all.”

You snorted, covering your mouth. “That sounds terrible.”

“It can be,” she chuckled. “Error will sometimes try and use me as a leaning post.”

_Error_. Another name to remember. You knew if you wanted to know about them all, then you would have to remember these names, and take notes as you went along. You smiled a little, sighing.

“Like what Mutt does to me?”

“Exactly.”

The two of you shared a knowing look that had Fresh laughing. You shot him a playful smile, throwing a piece of cheese at him. He gasped, glaring as he picked up a piece of lettuce and threw it back. Zapfino looked between the two of you before she settled.

“So, Red mentioned their 'bara monsters',” you said, leaning your elbow on the table. “Does that mean they're just...bigger?”

“more than that, poppet,” he said. “bara monsters tend to be more in tune with their wild side. more like animals, i guess ya could say. they really dig the chase.”

You hummed. “Okay. Now, they also mention the 'parasite' and 'leech' thing quite often. And they said something about you being a body snatcher.”

They both went really quiet. You looked up from your nachos to see them giving each other looks. You noticed the words on Fresh's glasses said “OOF BRUH” as they seemed to share a silent conversation. You waited for them patiently, finishing off your food and taking a long sip of your drink before Fresh looked your way again.

“while i think it'd be rad for ya to see,” he said, head tilted, “i don't think this is the place to show you anything.”

You raised a brow. “Bro, you're married; you shouldn't be showing me that kind of stuff at all.”

That had Zapfino choking on her drink and spitting some out from her teeth, choked laughter escaping her. Fresh bellowed out a shocked bark of laughter before he settled into a smoother chuckle. His glasses changed again to “RADICAL”, the word separated between the two lens. You smiled triumphantly, taking another long pull from your drink before setting back down again.

“Ah, all that aside,” Zapfino said, still laughing a little while using a napkin to wipe around her teeth, “I think it would be best to show you that in a more private setting.”

You nodded. Her tone sounded serious; hell, Fresh's even did. You let it slide for now, trying to think of something else to ask when you noticed her eyelight. It reminded you of something.  
“Um, so I noticed you...don't resemble that boys?” you said, your voice small but still catching their attention. “You don't look like either Sans or Papyrus?”

She grinned, leaning her elbow on the table as she looked at you. “Well, my brother looked a bit like the Papyri. Definitely a lot more chill, like Stretch and the dog. And no, you're right; I'm not really either a Sans or a Papyrus. I'm just...me? I'm technically not a female Sans, either.” She winked at you. “I've met her; she goes by Serif, much like dancer boy here does.” She hummed a little, taking a drink of her root beer. “I guess I do fit the bill though. I'm not a Sans, in my timeline anyway. But, I do fit that role; I'm the Judge, and my brother was the Jury.”

You blinked, a brow raising. Brother? Judge? Jury? You shook your head, ignoring it as the three of you gathered your trash and threw it away. Once everyone was good, you set off walking, but you could feel your ankle starting to hurt. You had managed to trip yourself a few days ago, and the pain was getting worse every time you walked or even stood for too long.

You glanced at them, before stopping. It was now or never, you supposed.

“Can I...” They both stopped and turned to face you. “I want to ride on your back.”

You said it decisively, but you could feel the gnawing anxiety eating at your stomach. You didn't have to worry though; Fresh let out a laugh again, moving to head back toward and bent on his knees a little. He made a small motion with his head and you let out a childish squeal, moving around and hopping up on his back. Zapfino took the bag from you as the three of you moved along.

“So, I noticed you said 'was' or mentioned your brother in the past tense,” you said, playing with the spinny thing on Fresh's hat. “And ya don't gotta explain it to me, but are you okay?”

You looked over and she was rubbing her neck. She looked uncomfortable with the question but when she looked at you, it seemed a lot of it fell from her. She gave a sad smile, reaching up to poke your nose.

“That's ah...wow,” she chuckled. “That's a loaded question there, hon. Mentally? I'm not okay; 's gonna take a few more years of therapy for that. But physically? I'm alright. I...never really got the chance to totally process his death because of...reasons I'm nowhere _near_ ready to talk about.” Her voice had a bite of venom and for a moment, you could see the way her teeth curled into a small snarl.

Fresh adjusted the two of you, bouncing you some so he could grab his wife's hand. You smiled at the exchange as Zapfino seemed to come out of whatever trance she was falling into. She sighed and gave you another little grin.

“I miss my brother, a lot. But right now, I can't exactly think about his...death. Not without going into a panic attack anyways. I always end up thinking about what happens after and...well, I wasn't as old as you might think when it happened. I don't think I have a single scar from before I was out of stripes.” She glanced at you to see if you understood that and you nodded. You knew about monster children and stripes. “My childhood was...less worrying about making friends and more trying to survive to the next day.”

Your heart broke with each word she spoke. Dead brother. Horrible childhood. You wondered if the holes in her head came from the same incident that killed her brother. God, just the thought of losing someone you loved so dearly nearly made you feel sick.

You glanced around you, noting that people were giving you weird looks. You were sure you looked silly. You were on the back of an almost eight foot tall skeleton and his wife was holding his hand. You, the only human of the trio, looked like their adopted child and the thought had you giggling.

You whispered it to the other two and you three burst into giggles.

After another moment, she spoke again.

“I will tell you there is an entire year I won't speak about,” she said softly, her sockets narrowed. Her hand clenched in her pocket. “I can't even think about it without going into some of the worst panic attacks. If it wasn't for Fresh...”

She trailed off and looked at said skeleton. You couldn't see his expression, but whatever it was made her smile become easier, and in your own soul you felt a wave of calm settle over you. You leaned your head on the back Fresh's skull. He didn't say anything as Zapfino spoke again, a little quieter.

“If it wasn't for Fresh...I'd probably have either gone completely insane, or I would have Fallen Down eventually. His family took me in without second thought, and I'll always be grateful for them. They're not the _best_ people out there, but they've helped me when I needed it most. Sometimes, your family isn't biological. It's the people who will stick with you no matter the situation that are your _**true**_ family. That's what I've learned.”

You felt your heart and soul tugging in your chest. You understood that, more than anyone. You had found your own family with Sans and Papyrus all these years. Your father and Mamaw and Papaw. Morgan and Mouse. You had managed to find your own family throughout all the crazy you called your life.

Sure, you didn't have any dead siblings whom you loved. You couldn't imagine the pain she must feel whenever she thought about it. And the fact she shared it with you? You were touched, and you gave her a small, watery smile before she cleared her through. You let out a laugh as she looked to Fresh. He nodded and she sighed.

“So, uh, ya got anymore questions?” she asked you. “I, uh, might not be able to answer all of them, but fire away, I guess.”

You perked up a little. You were fine if there were some things she didn't want to share; it was her choice to tell you things or not regardless if you asked. You grinned at her as your arm draped over Fresh's shoulder.

“I noticed you have two different colored eyelights,” you hummed. “Not to mention they're different shapes. Does that mean you have dual colored magic?”

“Eh, sort of? It's...kinda complicated when it comes to my magic. The purple comes from...it's my soul trait. But my other eyelight comes from what my magic would have looked like if I didn't have a main soul trait.” There was a huge piece of the story you weren't getting, but you didn't say anything as she continued, “As for my magic being dual, yes, it is. But it's very split down the middle. If I use my magic on my left side, it's green but on my right, it's purple. When I summon my ectobody, the colors are on their respective sides, with a bit of blue mixing in the middle. But my magic is...very different from a normal monster's magic. And there's a few reasons for that.”

The question was on the tip of your tongue, but you refrained. You knew she was still a little jumpy with you, and you didn't want to push her boundaries. You would get to know more with time, you were sure. Just like one day, you would ask her to explain about these “Ink” and “Error” characters, and Fresh's own family.

“So two colors of magic,” you breathed, your fist clutching Fresh's hoodie. He chuckled, vibrating your front. “That's so cool. And what about the...” You gestured to your own face, indicating her mask that was haphazardly put back together. “I mean, you're a gorgeous skeleton.”

Her face scrunched, and for a moment, you thought you stepped over your limit with her. But she let out a slow breath, her free hand adjusting said mask.

“People see the scars and they...they ask questions. Questions I don't want to answer. It's just...easier this way. I'm comfortable enough around Fresh's family that I don't even wear it around them anymore. I only really put it on if I'm somewhere new, or if I'm going to meet a bunch of new people. Plus...I don't like looking at my eyelight. It...I don't like diamonds.” Her voice was venomous again as she said that before it quickly cooled. “And thank you. It's not that I don't think I look good; I mean, Fresh is always complimenting me every second of the day. I just...like to wait to feel comfortable before I reveal that part of myself.”

You gave Fresh a small tug on his hoodie. He stopped, stooping a little to let you down. Once your feet touched the linoleum, you raced over to Zapfino. She was caught off guard as your arms wrapped around her, careful to not knock her off her feet or hurt something. After a moment, her own arms cautiously wrapped around you as well.

“It's okay,” you said softly. “You don't have to tell me everything. Not now, not ever, if you don't want to. I have you, you have me. I will always have you, and you can come to me in your own time.”

There was a small pause before the caution was whipped out of existence, Zapfino bending down to give a gentle, careful nuzzle to the top of your head.

“Thank you.”

It was so soft, it could have been lost to the din of the mall had you not been so close. After a few moments, the two of you parted. She bent down this time and you gave another excited squeal as you climbed up her back. She adjusted the two of you quickly before the three of you started walking again.

The rest of the trip was successful and fun. You and Zapfino had found a shirt that fit Fresh to a T, and you bought for it him instantly, uncaring whether it fit him or not. The two of you giggled as you made your way out of the store.

But the best part had been when he'd gone to change into said shirt. He came out of the bathroom wearing this bright green tank top, the word “Supercaliswagilisticsexyhelladopeness” written on the front of it, each word a different color of the rainbow. You and Zapfino wheezed together as he tried showing off his muscles, and you were leaning in your bench, tears rolling down your face as he showed off to others around you.

You were perfectly content in this moment, leaning against Zapfino as you laughed with her.

–

Pink was actually the one to come and pick you up. Night had fallen hours ago, and the mall had finally closed. You took the bags of clothes, random things you didn't need and your new laptop and placed them in the back of the Jeep. Once everyone was settled and Pink drove away, the three of you launched into your adventures.

Halfway home, your phone rang and you turned down the radio and answered it, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

“What's up?”

“Y/n?”

You sat up a little straighter. “Oh! Mettaton!”

Mettaton's chuckle was staticky even through the phone. You smiled as he sighed, and you crossed one leg over the other.

“I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, darling,” he said, sighing loudly. “I just had to get some stuff taken care of and time seemed to have gotten away from me.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing. “That's alright. So what's up?”

“Ah, yes! I was wondering when you and your friend could come in to see the place you'll be working in?”

You laughed as the two of you talked dates and such. Once everything was settled, you hung up the phone, grinning at the three others were listening in curiously.

“Guess we go in three days to see the new place,” you hummed, excitement making you vibrate in your seat.

The others whooped and laughed with you. The rest of the ride home was talking about what might happen and what could happen. Obviously, it would be a big and flashy performance, but you were wondering just what it would entail.

Once home, everyone piled out, taking bags and heading inside. You bolted up to your room, put everything away and got dressed. While you were brushing your hair out to put it up, a knock came to your bedroom door.

Finally, someone knew how to knock!

“Come in!” you called.

After a few seconds, you turned to see Fresh leaning in the doorway to your bathroom. He really was a huge skeleton. He had to practically bend over to see you from under the door. You held a finger up and grabbed your hair tie, putting it up in a messy bun before you exited the bathroom.

“What's up, broski?” you asked, nudging him a little.

He looked to the side for a moment, glancing out the window before drawing you into a hug. You squeaked in surprise, but gave him a hug back. He practically enveloped you, sighing into your hair as he seemed to think about what he said.

“thanks fer everythin' today, poppet,” he said softly. “'preciate ya tryna get to know her. she's been homesick lately and her birthday is comin' up...”

You pulled away, eyes wide. “Her birthday?!”

He shook his head. “don't try nothin'. she doesn't want anything. well, she does, but it's not exactly somethin' ya can get her.”

You thought back to the conversation you had with them at the mall and gave a sad smile, nodding. “Right, of course.”

“for real, though, you're th' best,” he said, nudging you. “thanks for lettin' us tag along.”

“Thanks for coming,” you said softly.

“i got your back, poppet,” he said, backing away for the door. “word is bond.”

You smiled, giving him a wave as he left.

“Word is bond.”

As you got ready for bed, there was a loud crash downstairs, and you jolted from your position in your bed, jerking upright. You waited a beat before another crash came and you heard Red and Sans cursing up a storm and even Papyrus sounded stressed.

You threw the covers off of you, bolting for the door and throwing it open. You raced down the stairs and landed on the first floor, ignoring the jolt that shot up your legs from the heavy fall. You raced for the living room where the voices had risen.

When you turned the corner, you were knocked down, the breath knocked out of you.

Two white eyelights, slit much like a cat's, stared down at you.

“ _ **mine.**_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fresh: _*says something*_  
>  MC: _*says something pervy back*_  
>  Fresh and Z: ye, she'll fit right in.


	34. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet two more.  
> You think you're going to be at your wit's end.
> 
> __  
> **Zapfino's had enough.**  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. <3
> 
> Y'all are such smart cookies with guessing who the new boys were. ^^; Y'all are amazing and perfect and precious. Just a reminder that you're amazing and you're valid.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Dump](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com)  
> Good Read?:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab With Siren:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363)
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~cult~~ chaos](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> Indroducing:  
>  **Beasttale Sans:** Pup  
>  **Beasttale Papyrus:** Shepard

You didn't even get a chance to let out a yelp of surprise before the body was pulled from you. You quickly scrambled back, hitting a pair of legs. You were quickly drawn up from the floor as you were surrounded in a mini barrier of skeletons.

Dusty was next to you, throwing knives settled in the spaces between his phalanges. Crooks was in front of you, a halberd in his hands and pointed forward. Edge was on your other side, a long sword clutched in his grip. And you turned to see G behind you, a quarter staff clutched in both hands and his gaze in front of him.

You looked forward, taking a peek out from underneath Crooks's arm. He shuffled a little bit to keep you mostly out of sight, but you placed a gentle hand on his spine to let him know you were alright.

Two of the couches were overturned, and the coffee table had been completely smashed into pieces. At least the vases of flowers survived the rough housing in here.

Karma was in front of you, moving you back a little as he cast a glance over his shoulder. Once he was satisfied with what he saw, he looked back you, his eyelight roaming over your face before it traveled down your body. Once he was done, he gave a little nod and brought you close to him.

“ya alright, love?” he murmured against your temple. “pretty nasty fall ya took.”

“I'm fine,” you whispered back. “Why is everyone so on edge?”

Dusty let out a low growl that had you jumping in Karma's hold. The skeleton holding you didn't flinch, but he did cautiously move you closer to the disgruntled skeleton. Magical weapons disappeared as Dusty reached for you.

His grip was punishing as he held you close, taking in a deep breath. He was shaking, and none of the others moved to take you from him. In fact, they gave you a little more space and you finally managed to get a good look at the scene in front of you.

Along with the two new skeletons.

You blinked a few times, almost tempted to rub your eyes and look again. But they were there. Two new skeletons were being wrestled to the floor by some of the more stronger boys. You could even see Fresh in the tangle, holding down what seemed to be a giant skeleton dog? You weren't too sure, but that's what they looked like to you.

You winced as they knocked over half the coffee table in their struggle with the taller of the new skeletons. You had enough, keeping Dusty with you as you moved forward a little. The four others with you moved with you as well, keeping their eyelights on the scene in front of you.

“Enough!”

Your voice cut through the growls and snarls. In fact, you thought you heard a small whimper as everyone froze. Sans peeked out from behind the smaller of the two skeletons, panting. His head was covered in sweat and his eyelights were tiny pin pricks.

“hey, princess.”

Your eyes nearly bugged out of your skull. “Really? 'Hey, princess' is the only reaction I'm getting here?”

“i say ya kick his ass,” Karma hummed. “but that's just me.”

“at this point, i just might,” G snapped. “i've been workin' on that damn thing far too long for you to be messing with it and screwing up the progress i make on it! we could have sent someone home!”

Your soul gave a painful tug that had you letting out a whimper as Dusty cooed behind you. He nuzzled against you, trying to calm you down, his claws stroking along the skin on your hand. You could Ghost next to him, frowning and motioning to you with his ghost hands. You gave an imperceptible nod and he grinned at you, manic eyelights flashing before he seemed to drift off.

You knew it was a topic of discussion, and you knew it was something that would have to come up or happen eventually. But you didn't want to think about that. You had kept it on the back burner for so long, and now it was coming back to bite you in the ass. They could have sent someone home. They could have taken someone away from you.

You could have lost someone dear to you.

“Y/n? Sweet Apple, Can You Hear Me?”

You looked up to see Justice staring down at you. He head leaned over some, but not by a lot. This close, you could see the purple threads behind the mask, something he must want to cover up. His hand reached out, gloved claws stroking your cheek as he had you looking at him.

“bro, get her some water.”

Axe's voice carried over you and you sighed. You tried to keep yourself grounded, focusing on the feeling of Justice's gloves on your skin and Dusty's grip on your waist.

“I'm okay,” you whispered. “I just...first, what the fuck is going on?”

Justice's face twisted as Edge gave out a loud snarl.

“SEEMS CLASSIC HERE JUST WANTED TO KEEP MESSING WITH SOMETHING HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.”

Black, who was huffing as he held down the taller of the new skeletons – the Papyrus, you assumed – snapped, “AND HE APPAERNTLY HASN'T LEARNED HIS LESSON.”

Papyrus looked over at you, his breathing coming out in pants as he helped hold down the Papyrus of the skeletons. “SO NOW WE HAVE TWO NEW FRIENDS!”

The Sans snarled, struggling once more. Axe, Sans, Mutt and Stretch grunted with exertion as the new skeleton tried to pry himself out from under their hold. Your heart leapt to your throat as you watched it, trying to think of something to do while they struggled to hold down the dog like skeleton. Seriously, how many variations are there of just two skeletons?!

“Everyone just... _pause_!”

Everyone froze, even the new Sans. You managed to peel yourself away from Dusty, much to his displeasure, and you made your way over to the Sans. You held your hands out in front of you, palms out. Crooks had come back and was holding the glass of water, watching as you approached him. All eyelights were on you.

Fresh inched a little closer in case he had to snag you before you got bit. The closer you got to them, the more you realized just how dog like he really was. And it wasn't just in the sense of how Mutt acted.

This skeleton in front of you wore something similar to what Sans was wearing when you first met him. He wore a blue hoodie that was stretched over his huge frame, but still managed to sag in some places. He wore basketball shorts that were almost just like Sans's. The only thing that seemed to be missing were the slippers and socks.

But his structure was that similar to a dog. He was down on all fours, and his spine was arched. His face was more like a dog, stretched and pulled into a muzzle. There was a tail trying to swish around angrily behind him, but one of the boys held it down. You winced, really hoping that he was born like that. The other thought that he was made to be like that broke your heart.

The Papyrus, his brother, was more the same. Battle body armor, scarf. Just no boots or gloves. His skull was also similar to that of a muzzle, even if was shaped quite differently than his brothers. He regarded you with eyelights that were similar to that of the Sans. White, but slit much like a cat's.

You were wary, one foot slowly moving in front of the other. When you managed to get to the Sans, you reached out a hand slowly. It was a long shot, but maybe he'd be gentle with you. Much like the boys when they got angry, if you were able to be near them or let them hold you or something, they would feel better.

Or, kinda better.

“Let him go, boys,” you said softly. “I got him.”

“honey, are you crazy?” Stretch grunted, keeping his hold on the shifting monster beneath him. “he acts like a rabid dog.”

“'m gonna have to agree with the ashtray over there,” Axe growled, his claws digging into the fabric of the hoodie. “up until you came down, neither of these two have said a damn word.”

Mutt snarled something low in his throat, his fangs lifted in a sneer. Whatever was said caused the Sans below them to growl, eyelights flashing dangerously. Your eyes widened as the Sans opened his mouth, an orb of light forming in his maw. You heard the room curse loudly as you were yanked away.

Right as your feet left the ground, the orb turned into a beam. The beam struck a spot near you, spearing right through the wall and the wall after that. You let out a choked screech as the light faded, blinking away the white light that had engulfed your vision.

There was now a giant hole in the wall. In fact, there was one in the wall on the other side of the hall between the living room and the dining room as well. You stared with wide eyes at the holes, your brain trying to put things together, but you couldn't bring yourself to say or do anything but swallow the thick lump in your throat.

Fresh held a tight grip on you, even as you slumped forward, gasping for breath. Crooks rushed over, handing the water to you. But you couldn't grab it. You kept a hold of Fresh's hoodie as you stared at the new Sans and Papyrus.

They were obviously different; that much was apparent. This version of Sans had claimed you when he jumped on you, but you had yet to hear another peep. You tentatively untangled your hands from Fresh's hoodie in favor of spinning around in his arms.

“We're not here to hurt you,” you said softly, keeping your eyes locked on his eyelights. “Please don't be scared...”

“then tell them to let me go.”

His voice rumbled from him, harsh like he wasn't used to speaking. It was pleasant though, sending a small tingle down your spine. You smiled a little, looking at the boys holding him down. They gave each other looks before slowly removing themselves from the bigger skeleton under them.

The Sans shook himself out, much like a dog. His bones rattled under his clothes, and his tail lifted, moving side to side. The skeletons holding his brother down also moved back, almost like they were touching acid. The new Papyrus even had a tail, much longer than his brother. It flicked up and around, the tip trailing along your arm.

“So You're The Human I Could Smell,” he said, his head tilted. “Forgive My Brother; He Tends To Act Before He Thinks.”

You chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of your neck. You kept yourself tucked next to Fresh while the others slowly made their way to stand around you.

“I-it's fine. I just...” You took in a deep, steadying breath before glancing around. “I think I'll stay with Z and Fresh tonight.” You looked up at Fresh. “That okay?”

“nah, i dig it, poppet,” he said, ruffling your hair. “i'll help out here. go head to the lil house and z'll getcha set up.”

His glasses for a brief moment flashed “SORRY” before they went back to their usual saying. You gave him a small smile of understanding before you went over to the stairs and raced up them. You headed right for your room, snagging your phone. Or you tried.

Your hands were shaking so bad, your phone kept slipping from your fingers. You let out a little curse, bending down to pick it up off the floor where it had fallen. You grabbed your grandfather's quilt he made you, and a sweater to wrap around yourself. Once you put on a pair of boots, you left your room, shutting off the light before you shut the door. You went back down the stairs and avoided going near the living room entirely where there were now a couple of raised voices and growls.

God, how much more could you take? You were pushing your limits all the time, and even now, with the new add ons...

You felt your soul give a little tug and you winced. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable at this point. You rubbed your hand over your sternum as you made your way to the cottage Fresh and Z had been calling home. You paused, your hand raised to knock when the door gently opened, Z's face – minus her mask – grinned down at you, ushering you inside with a waved of her hand.

You instantly noticed she looked – and acted – a lot different. When the door closed, you noticed she had on what looked to be a homemade crop top, the bottom edges sewn so they didn't fray. She still wore a glove on her hand, but maybe that was because you came over. Maybe it had something to do with the year she didn't want to discuss?

You were sure, but you felt a little touched she left her mask off. It was different. You were so use to only seeing that single teal oval in her socket. But now you could see the purple diamond, gently moving to look over you as you stood in her doorway.

“Fresh mentioned you were coming,” she said simply, tapping her sternum. “Said something went down?”

You felt your lower lip quivering, everything crashing over you at once. It was then and there, in the quiet of this small cottage, you let out a little, broken sob.

Zapfino was by your side instantly. You tried cringing away from her, thinking you were going to get berated for sobbing. You could already hear your mother's voice yelling at you that you had nothing to cry about, that you were just being dramatic and looking for attention.

But she held firm, guiding you to the living room area where she sat you on the couch. She draped the quilt over your shoulders, tugging it till it tucked under your chin. Her phalanges worked until they had gently dried your tears, letting you get out the hiccups and sniffles before she ran a gentle hand through your hair.

“What's wrong, sweet pea?” she murmured. “Talk to me.”

“I-I just don't know how much more of this I can take,” you cried. “I adore all of them so much. They're all so unique and wonderful and special in their own ways. But this is just too much. There's so many of them.”

Zapfino's eyelights shrunk for a second before expanding once more. “Are there more?”

“Two more. One blew a hole through the wall. They look like some weird dragon dog hybrids,” you sniffled. “But they can talk, just like the others.”

She hummed. “Sounds familiar. Might have a pair like that in my grouping.” She smiled at you, patting you on the head. “Give me a moment and I'll get ya some tea, alright?”

You nodded, wiping your eyes with the back of your hands. She shuffled off, leaving you alone for a moment. You could hear her moving around in the kitchen, muttering something to herself. You couldn't hear all of it, but you didn't think it sounded too good. You didn't care. You gripped your quilt tighter, trying to ease some of the pain in your chest.

You had told yourself you could do this. You had told yourself it would be fine. But in reality, you were slowly crumbling back into a dark place. You were trying to keep yourself buried in schoolwork for so long, you didn't have to think about it. Now, with the holidays coming up, the door had opened and you were being forced to confront the problem.

A skeletal hand passed in front of your face and you jumped, letting out a tiny squeak. Zapfino eyed you for a moment, her head tilted. It reminded you a lot of Axe. He did the same thing when he was deep in thought or checking to see if you were okay. Maybe those two would get along. You knew the Axe from her universe and this one were just about the same. The only differences were sanity levels and height.

She slid a cup delicately into your hands. The liquid inside was steaming, and it smelled amazing. Like peppermint. You wrapped your cold hands around the cup, sniffling once more before taking a drink.

It was warm, but not hot. It went down smoothly and you sighed through your nose. You set the cup on the table in front of you, your hands still shaking a little. Zapfino sat beside you, turning on the TV in front of you and turning it onto a random channel. You curled deeper into the blanket, as deep as you could go.

You were thankful she didn't question you anymore. It was also really nice to see her...well, not so covered up. She was a wonderful skeleton, and by anatomy alone you could tell if she summoned her ectobody, she'd be pretty curvy. It was nice, and you were happy with the silence between you.

Your phone buzzed next to you, and you stiffened, eyes shooting to the device that was sitting on the empty cushion on your other side. When your Mamaw's picture showed up, your body slowly relaxed as you came from your little cocoon to answer.

“Hey, Mamaw,” you said softly.

“Ah, there she is,” your Mamaw said happily. “How ya been, old lady?”

You chuckled a little, hoping it didn't sound as hollow as you thought it did. “I've been fine. Dealing with the boneheads, as usual. How are you and Papaw?”

“We're fine, honey. I was actually calling about Christmas.”

You smiled. “Are we doing it at dad's again?”

“'fraid not, darling. Your mother still has yet to leave, and I don't think we want a repeat of Thanksgiving.”

Memories of that day washed over you, making you shiver. Zapfino looked over at you, but you just gave her a smile and a nod. She eyed you for another moment before looking back at the TV.

“I agree. So are we doing it at your house or were we thinking somewhere else this year?” you hummed.

“Well, why not your house?”

You paused, eyes wide. Christmas? At your house? With all the boys? You would have to ask Sans, especially now that there were two more additions that looked more like dogs than the others. Plus, with everyone being here, how were you supposed to feed so many?

You'd definitely have to ask everyone and see who was going to be there and who wasn't. It would make your shopping list so much smaller for food. As for gifts? You didn't even know what to get everyone. You had gotten some stuff already for some of them. But there were people like Karma and Justice who you didn't know what to get for them, and some of the others. You didn't even know what to get Fresh!

“Lemme talk to Sans and see what he says,” you finally say after a stretch of silence. “It's his home, after all.”

“Of course, honey. You make sure you get back to me and your dad, okay?”

“Alright, Mamaw.”

After a few more moments of talking, you gave her a heartfelt “I love you, dinosaur” before hanging up the phone. You slumped against the cushions, sighing and rubbing your eyes with the heels of your hands.

“I...won't ask what's going on,” Zapfino murmured next to you. You glanced over at her, and she was looking at you a little. “But just know, you're more than welcome to vent. Or even come over here and crash for a little and take a break when you need one away from the boys. You know that, right?”

“Of course,” you breathed out, yawning. “I know.”

In a move that shocked both you and her, you laid on your side and placed your head on her femur, eyes halfway closed before you damn near bolted upright. Crap, you were on autopilot again.

“S-sorry!” you stammered. “I usually do that with the boys and it's just become a hab–”

“It's fine,” she interrupted, patting her femurs with a _clack_ of bone on bone. “Lay down. Get some sleep.”

So you did. You laid back down, with the exception of a pillow between your head and her femur. You could taste magic in the air, but as your eyes drifted shut, you just couldn't care at the moment. You just wanted a little bit of sleep. To get your thoughts together and to try and make sense of all this crazy bondmate stuff.

**

Zapfino was mad.

Her hand curled into a fist on the arm of the couch, trying to breathe evenly as you slept on her leg. Her magic stirred inside of her, threatening to break free and manifest. But she kept it at bay, fear that she would hurt you at the forefront of her mind.

This little shit had to be kidding. Another pair of brothers coming through. Was Classic being purposefully stupid, or just is he just this completely dense that he has to keep this up? She didn't know why he kept fiddling with the machine.

She did know, however, G was trying to fix it so they could go home. So she and Fresh could get back to their own grouping, get back to their family. God, the others must be so worried at this point. She could already see them looking through all of the universes trying to find them.

Would they even realize where they had landed? She wasn't sure. But she did know she was fed the fuck up.

There was another influx of magic in the air as Fresh appeared next to her. He looked exhausted, taking the glasses from his sockets and rubbing them. The soul that floated in his socket was starting to splinter a little again, and in other one had a small tentacle waving out of it. She smiled at him as he put the glasses back on.

“What happened?” she demanded. “Y/n came through the door and just...started crying.”

Fresh's teeth turned into a disgusted sneer. “th' little classic bozo fiddlin' with the machine like he fiendin' for something. g keeps fixing it back, but dawg gotta keep messin' with it.”

Zapfino let out a low growl. “I'm getting fed up, Fresh. I'm sick of this. They keep this up – if _Sans_ keeps this up – they're going to lose her by damaging the bond, or breaking her soul entirely. Black is treating her like a pet, the others treat her like property behind her back. I'm...fed up.”

“y'wanna say somethin', y'know i've got your back, boo,” he said, leaning down to nuzzle his skull against her good side. “cause 'm thinkin' they need a lesson.”

She glanced down at you, your hands clutching the pillow and your chest rising and falling. You were definitely calmer than when you first walked in the door, which was good for her. Your panic had been eating at her, and now she was going to make sure these boys knew the damage they would cause.

That Sans would cause if he kept up this shit.

“Let's get her to the guest room,” Zapfino murmured, running her phalanges through your hair once more. “Then I'll grab my clothes and mask and we'll head over. She doesn't need to be woken up for this.”

Fresh nodded, silently agreeing. He came around, gently scooping you into his arms. You let out a little whine and grumble before moving against him and burrowing yourself next to his clavicle. Zapfino only chuckled as Fresh shook his head. The two went up to the stairs.

Fresh took you into the guest room, moving you so you were still covered with your grandfather's quilt and tucked you under the blankets. When he was satisfied you were still asleep, he slowly left the room, closing the door softly. He turned to see his wife adjusting her mask, sighing as she ran phalanges down the cracks in it.

Ever since her breakdown and the night that led to Zapfino trusting you even a little more, she had been beating herself up for breaking it. It had been a special gift. Had been with her for well over a decade. She treasured this, and she beat herself up over the fact she broke it.

He went to her side, giving her a gentle nuzzle before the two of them left the house, making sure you were still asleep one more time. Once it was confirmed, Zapfino's face went from gentle concern to outraged in mere seconds. She marched over to the house, listening to the voices within.

She couldn't make out too much of what they were saying, but she didn't care. Knock, knock, here she comes to fuck up the rest of their night.

She barged through the door, letting it crack against the wall. She made her way right to the living room, steering into the room that was still full of skeletons. Fresh was right on her heel, able to keep up with her long strides.

When she made it into the room, her showing eyelight flared with magic before she sent out a pulsing wave, knocking almost everyone from their feet. There were exclamations and curses, all the skeletons in the vicinity letting their magic flare to life to confront the threat.

But all they saw when they looked at the archway that led into the room was a casual Fresh leaning against the open doorway and a pissed off Zapfino, her magic flickering like smoke in her socket.

“I want everyone to get here, or on a call,” she hissed, her voice dripping venom. “ _Now_.”

No one moved for a moment, but reluctantly, Sans snagged his phone from the floor before typing on a few times. Once he was done, G brought out a tablet, tapping on himself a few times. There was a scowl on his face that pulled the cracks in his face taut, his eyelights occasionally flickering to the TV Edge had turned on. The new Sans and Papyrus – who had been dubbed Pup and Shepard for now – let out small whimpers as they made their way to a place by the couches.

In a few short moments, Skype had been pulled up, and there were numerous faces on the TV. While all the Sans or Sans personalities looked just fine, quite a few of the Papyri and the Papyri personalities looked pissed. Namely, Chief.

“What Is The Meaning Of This?” he hissed. “Do You Know What Time It Is?”

“And I don't care,” Zapfino snapped, unaffected by the hostility. “I'm having a talk with all of you, and I will not be having this talk more than once. I'm getting sick and tired of this. So sit down, and shut the fuck up.”

Everyone went quiet, the others in the room going to do as she said. Their eyelights looked to Fresh. He didn't say or do anything, just leaned against the doorway of the room. It unnerved most of the others they couldn't see his sockets, but most of them already knew it would be worse to see said sockets.

Once everyone was settled and everyone on the large TV was visible, Zapfino came into the room a little further. Fresh came off the archway, coming to stand behind his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her bones rattled with how angry she was, her hand clenched by her sides.

“I'm only going to say this once,” she repeated harshly, glaring directly at Classic. “Quit messing with that fucking machine.”

Classic glared at her, moving to sit up straight and kept his gaze level with hers. “i'm doing this to send all of you home–”

“You've been working on this 'mishap' for years!” she snapped. “Y/n came to the house and instantly started crying.”

Red sat up straight now, as did a few of the others. Concern was etched on their skull as Sans fiddled uselessly with his hoodie string.

“is she okay?” Sin asked on the TV.

“Where Is She?” Tiny asked, eyes wide.

“she's chillin' in z and mine's place,” Fresh said, glancing at the TV. “she's passed out.”

The others seemed to slump in relief, except for those from the harsher universes. Black and Mutt were damn near bouncing in place.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE STARTED CRYING?” Black demanded.

“crying means that there was water leaking from her eyes,” Karma sassed, rolling his single eyelight.

“She's overwhelmed,” Zapfino said, not paying any mind to Karma or Justice. “She adores the lot of you, but there's so many of you here.”

“i'm tryin'–”

“if you were really trying,” G snapped, suddenly standing, “then we would have been able to send at least a few pairs home by now! i've had those mathematics perfect, and had everything set! but then someone seems to creep into the lab and _wreck that work_.”

Classic visibly flinched, sending every eyelight to him. Zapfino pressed herself further against Fresh, watching G warily. It wasn't that she didn't like him, per se. There was just a half of him she didn't want anything to do with, and would keep him at a distance.

“Brother?” Papyrus said softly.

There was a beat of silence before Classic blew out a breath, looking like he was trying to bury himself in his hoodie. But it wasn't going to happen, and Zapfino's magic flared a little. He winced, but he looked away from everyone and down to the floor.

“i just want him back.”

The responses were instantaneous.

The house was in pandemonium as everyone yelled at him. Shouting in outrage. Even the ones on the TV were beginning to threaten to come from their homes to kick his ass. There was loud noise all over, and Zapfino was thankful you weren't there sleeping. It would have definitely woken you up, and after the mild panic attack you had? You needed the sleep.

Zapfino didn't step in until a few of the ones in the room got up and took a few steps for Classic. She hissed a little, using her magic to force them back into their seats.

“Enough,” she snapped. “This isn't the time to attack him. I get what he did was fucked up, but right now, we just need to focus on getting you guys home.”

“is sweetheart really okay?” Buddy asked.

“She's alright.” She glanced at the TV. “She had a mild panic attack and then slept. But I am concerned.”

“over what?” Serif asked.

“The way she rubbing her chest.”

Everyone paused, sockets and eyes going wide as they the lines clicked together. Your soul. You had been trying to soothe your soul.

“Go Get Her!” Chief snapped. “Let Me See Her!”

“She's _sleeping_ ,” Zapfino gritted through her teeth. “I'm not waking her up for an entitled little shit.”

Both Chief and Edge looked mildly offended while Red buried his face in the fur of his hood to hide his grin and stifle his giggles. Even Buddy looked like he wanted to let loose a laugh, but managed to hold himself back.

“You guys have to stop. There's only so much her soul can take,” Zapfino said.

“she's right,” Fresh said, nodding. “bringin' all these other dawgs jus' gonna hurt her more in the long run. not to mention, have you even talked to her about the possibility of sending them home?”

“None Of Us Have Ever Really...Considered It,” Pink said, his voice edging on regret. “I Thought Classic Had Made Mention Of It Prior.”

“OF COURSE HE DIDN'T,” Black snapped, baby blue eyelights cutting to the blue clad skeleton. “HE WOULD RATHER HIS BONDMATE BE IN PAIN!”

“I don't think that's the case,” Zapfino said, rolling her own eyelight. “Quit being a fuckin' drama queen, Black.”

He huffed, but didn't say another word.

“Look. All I'm saying is, you guys have to be more careful.” Zapfino crossed her arms. “I've been quiet and keeping to myself, but I see the way all of you are with her. Platonic bondmate or not, everyone is fighting for her attention. I get it, she's a bondmate – could be a soulmate, and that's what every monster dreams of.” She looked back at Fresh, smiling a little.

Fresh returned the smile before he glanced at the skeletons gathered in front of him and the ones on the TV.

“this is serious, broskis,” he said softly. “her soul's hurtin' bad. maybe we should have a conversation about what needs to happen so it can ease some of that pressure. because in reality, if this keeps going, ya gonna damage the bond, or you'll rupture her soul.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, looking at one another. Karma and Justice were silent, glancing at each other before simply shrugging and nodding along. They'd play this game. But they had a few tricks up their sleeves they were willing to pull in order for you to favor them.

They weren't stupid. They had several universes to contend with. But they were the better choices, really. They could protect you, could easily make you happy. You just had to see that for yourself.

Zapfino merely glanced at them, a chill running over her bones before she looked away. She took in a deep breath and looked away from everyone.

“I won't repeat this again. Clean up your shit, fix your mistakes, and help her,” she snapped. “I'm not going to let this continue. If one of you steps out of line, you'll deal with myself or Fresh. Do I make myself clear?”

No one said anything, but she didn't care. She turned on her heel to leave, Fresh following. Once they were outside, Zapfino took a shaky breath, breathing in the cold air of winter around them.

“Stars, Fresh, what if they hurt her?” she whispered. “She's been the only one to show us any real kindness and to actually try and get to know us rather than Judge us.”

Fresh brought her close, giving her teeth a little peck with his. “it'll be aiight, boo. she'll be fine. y/n is strong, and we have to help be her backbone.”

Zapfino really hoped he was right.

**

The next morning, you realized two things at the same time.

One, was that you weren't in your own room. The bed you laid in was extra comfortable, sure, but the blanket pulled up to your chin didn't smell like yours, nor did you hear the pitter patter of skeletal feet on the floors. You didn't even hear the small shouting that would have come from downstairs.

Two, Zapfino seemed to have checked up on you throughout the night and at some point decided to stay. But your eyes didn't stay on the back of her skull; they went to the purple star looking thing that was curled up, staring at you from a single eye ball.

The scream you let tear from your throat could be heard all the way in China, you were sure. You barely registered the voice that came from the purple star thing, or the fact Zapfino had jolted awake, her magic flaring to life in both sockets. You had thrown yourself backwards, effectively falling off the side of the bed with a loud “oomph”.

“Sweet pea? You alright?”

Concern in Zapfino's voice broke through the heaving breaths you were taking. Maybe you were just seeing things? There was no way there was a giant purple starfish on her head; those things usually live in oceans. And weren't purple. You were just waking up, so you must have just been seeing things.

You rubbed the heels of your hands against your eyes. “I-I'm fine. Just looked like there was a purple...star...fish...”

You had pulled yourself up and there it was. Still sitting on top of her head, eyeing you. Were those teeth surrounding the eye?! It was holding two...arms?...up, trying to placate you?

What the fuck was happening right now?

“Sweet pea, I need ya to breathe.”

Zapfino had put the starfish on the table next to the bed, coming around it to place you on the fluffy surface. Your breathing sounded erratic even to your own ears. You squeezed your eyes shut as you tried to fold in on yourself.

“None of that,” she murmured next to you. She carefully placed a hand on your knee, and one on your chest, pushing lightly. “You're gonna be alright. Just breathe with me. In for seven, out for ten – just like that, sweet pea.”

You followed the sound of her voice as you shook. God, something like that should not have sent you into a panic attack. But maybe you were still iffy after the events of last night. You weren't sure, but when you were finally able to calm yourself down, with the help of Zapfino, you looked over to the purple starfish.

“Y/n,” Zapfino said carefully, “he's not a starfish. That's Fresh. It's his...his true form.”

_Fresh. True form._ The...thing came from the nightstand, slowly making its – his – way over to you. It placed a...tentacle?...on your hand and looked up at you, the area around the eye turning down. Like it was frowning. The eye looked over your face.

“sorry for scarin' ya, lil brosephine,” he said, causing you to jump a little. “just a little tired and didn't think ya'd want two hulkin' skeles next to ya.”

“I-it's fine,” you said, smiling a little.

You poked at the tentacle on your hand. The mouth like thing turned up in a little smile as it seemed to sit back. You waited for a moment, looking at Zapfino who gave a small nod. You looked back to Fresh's true form, picking him up gently and running your hand along his...skin?

Whatever it was, it wasn't slimy like you thought it was. It was definitely shiny, and even felt a little...gelatinous. It had a little give, and when you pulled your finger away you could see the appendage form itself back. You were smiling as you played with the tentacles.

You could feel Zapfino's stare on you, but you weren't worried. She was, though, you knew. If what you were putting together was right, this was the most vulnerable Fresh could be. This was the moment anyone could take him out and Fresh would just...be no more.

But you wouldn't do that to him. In fact, this helped you think of the perfect gift for him for Christmas.

You placed him on top of your head, letting him move around your hair before you felt him settle. You smiled, giggling a little as you stood, ready to go face the day. And your boys.

You needed to set the records straight. You needed to meet these new boys, and you definitely had a score to settle with the others. Well, Red and Serif at least. They keep whooping your ass in multiplayer and you were getting tired of that.

But first things first, coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zapfino: I stg if there's more-  
> Readz: _*crying and saying there's two more*_  
>  Zapfino: _knock, knock, motherfuc-_


	35. The Real Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans have a serious discussion.  
> You get to know the new boys a bit.  
> You and Dusty go on a surprise date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger Warning: Panic Attack!**  
>  **This isn't the correct way to handle a panic attack. Please don't do this. You never know how someone will react.**  
>    
> It's...been a long week. I'm sorry this update is late! Due to me running myself into the ground, I've decided - after a heartfelt suggestion - to get a Beta. Thank you, [ Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent) for agreeing to help me out.<3
> 
> Without further ado, let's get this chapter on the go! ^^;
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Dump](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com)
> 
> Want A Good Read?  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [Siren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself. (:
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family.](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

“Hey, Sans.”

It was a week before Christmas. The boys had really gone all out for decorations this year. Garland and lights were strung up all around the house, and the Christmas tree in the living room nearly touched the high ceiling. It had a huge star on it, thanks to Papyrus and Blue going shopping and hunting for the perfect topper that would show their greatness and magnificence.

Granted, Edge thought they could go bigger, and Karma and Justice weren't helping by egging it on. In fact, you were sure they were making it worse. Tango was trying to settle the situation and Crooks was agreeing that they could definitely go bigger. Black was demanding one in a darker color, which Edge, Karma and Justice all agreed with.

And the other brothers? They were just being lazy or off at the lab to avoid anything to do with this entire thing. Pink had come over, and so had the humans. G had been staying in the room Zapfino and Fresh had left. The house was amass with skeletons and humans all over the place. You were drowning in puns and knock knock jokes.

However, you hadn't seen much of the new Sans and Papyrus. You had learned they dubbed themselves Pup and Shepard. Just like with any new arrival, anytime they even tried to get close to you when you were alone, the boys found some kind of excuse to be around you, too. It often made them scurry off with a glare, or a fight would break out.

Thankfully, Pup – the Sans – didn't try to blast a hole through the wall again.

Mettaton made double sure that you were going to be at the new place the day after New Year's. You had readily agreed, excited to get started. He wanted to talk a routine and an opener for his opening night in the middle of the month.

Now, you were resting on the couch in Sans's office, idly tossing an apple in the air and catching it. Sans was working on crunching some numbers for the machine or something, you weren't sure. You just knew he was doing something with science and it confused the shit out of you. But everyone was out doing something, and you had felt bad you hadn't spent as much time with Sans.

You were planning on seeing Zapfino later; it was her birthday. You didn't want to invite her to the house, cause the way Fresh had mentioned her birthday had come out a little...sad? Plus, she didn't want to celebrate it, so you didn't want to invite her over with the others. Maybe you, her and Fresh could watch a few movies or do something.

Sans glanced over at you for a moment. “what's up, princess?”

“So, for Christmas – or Gyftmas, as you call it – I was wondering if it'd be cool if Mamaw, Papaw and Dad came by here for it.”

He raised a brow bone at you. “To the house? With all these different versions? Under one roof?”

You chuckled, catching the apple and sitting up. “I know it seems silly. But...Mamaw doesn't wanna host at her house, and...Mom is still at the other house...”

You trailed off, your eyes going to the floor. Sans narrowed his sockets a bit before he stood from his chair, letting it roll back to hit the wall behind him. He came over to sit next to you, taking your hand in his and nuzzling your temple. You let out a breath you didn't know you had been holding.

“I just don't wanna see her,” you murmured.

“i don't trust it,” he said softly, “but your grandparents and father have proved to be cool. so i don't see why not. i'm sure red, stretch and serif will vouch for 'em too.”

You smiled, turning to face him and press a quick kiss to his teeth. His hand grazed your cheek, his own permegrin easy as he nuzzled you once more. You giggled a little, your fingers intertwining with his. You leaned against him as you used your other hand to text your dad to let Mamaw know that Christmas at your house was a go.

“there is something else i should tell you, princess.”

When you looked up, Sans's grin had turned down a little at the corners, his eyelights little more than the size of dimes. You pulled away a little, your eyes searching him before you leaned against the back of the couch.

“What's up?”

“uh...” He wrung his hands together, as though trying to think of a good way to bring up the topic he wanted to. After a moment, he just sighed, rubbing a hand over his skull.

“so, i think we need to talk about what happens when...when the others get sent back.”

Another pang to your soul had you wincing. You placed your hand over your sternum, your other hand clenching in your lap. Sans's sockets lowered, his hand covering your fist and bringing it up to his teeth. His sympathy was coming from him in waves.

“i know it's a hard subject to think about, y/n,” he murmured. “but we need to discuss, so when the time comes it...it won't come as much of a shock.”

“Isn't there a way to...to keep them all here?” you asked softly. “Maybe bring their universes to this one?”

He sighed sadly. “princess, i wish i could. i would do anything for you, you know that. but the timelines, the universe...everything could collapse in on itself. it's not possible to do that.”

Tears filled your eyes, even when you tried blinking them away. The thought of someone being sent home – back to their own timeline – made not only your soul hurt, but your heart was aching. You were falling for these boys faster than you thought you would, and you weren't ready to let any of them go. Your hand moved to clench his shirt.

“I don't want to lose anyone,” you whispered, sniffling.

“i know, princess,” he murmured. “it's gonna hurt. we only have two hypothesis on this. one is that you'll remember them even after they're gone, and the other is that you'll forget they were even here. that their imprint on this universe will vanish with them.”

You gripped his shirt a little harder. You knew you needed to hear this. But that didn't mean you wanted to. You just wanted to spend all this time with your boys and enjoy your holidays and your life with them. Why did they have to leave you? Why couldn't they stay with you?

You knew, of course, not all of them were romantic. And platonic ones always seemed to want your attention, too. But you knew it was probably for the best. You knew having so many here could be detrimental to you.

So you cried silently into Sans's hoodie as he rocked the two of you back and forth, whispering just how sorry he was to have put you in such a position. You found yourself curled up on his lap, your hand gripping his shirt and your phone forgotten on the couch as you tried your best to get as much comfort from him as you could.

You didn't know how long the two of you stayed like that. You know at some point, you heard the others starting to trickle into the house, some calling your name or others heading for their rooms or going about their routines. But you didn't respond to any of them, keeping yourself locked to your bondmate in front of you.

He moved you away, his thumbs coming up to wipe under your eyes. He gave you a sad smile, running a hand through your hair, careful to avoid getting his phalanges caught. He pressed his teeth to your forehead, sighing softly.

“i'm sorry, princess,” he whispered. “but i will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. somehow. i promise.”

You paused, glancing at him with slightly widened eyes. You knew how much he hated promises. So him telling you he promised you something?

Your heart could have melted.

“Thanks, Sans,” you whispered.

“how about we go tell the others about your relatives comin'?”

You smiled, nodding. “Let me wash my face first. I probably look like a spotted tomato.”

He chuckled, helping you stand. The two of you left the office, him going down to the first floor and you heading to the nearest bathroom. You shut the door quietly, the soft _click_ loud in the bathroom. You leaned against the door, your heart hammering in your ears as you tried to think of how to breathe evenly.

They could leave you at any time. All of them could leave and you would either remember them, or you wouldn't. Which would you even prefer? Remember them and hurt every time you think of them, cause you can't just... _go_ to them? Or forget about them entirely and forget they ever exist? Would the same thing happen to them? Or would it be different?

You were so worried. You were scared. You just wanted to gather them all and stuff them somewhere and keep them all locked away. Or, try to. You already that between Sans and Axe, the two could fight and blow an entire house to smithereens if they wanted to. But Dusty and Sans were the ones who seemed to fight the worst.

You stood from the floor – when had you fallen? – and you went to the sink, splashing your face with cold water. You grabbed a towel from beside you, dabbing at your face with soft cloth before you placed it back on the counter. You took one more look at yourself.

You looked... _tired_. You had little bags under your eyes, your eyes were drooping like you could fall asleep right there. Your body seemed to sag even. You touched your face, wincing the slightest bit before you sucked in a deep breath.

You could do this. You were strong. You could fight it.

With that mindset, you left the bathroom, heading down to the first floor and skipping to the living room, where some of the skeletons had gathered. Even Pup and Shepard were there, snoozing beside a couch. You smiled, patting their heads as you passed by. It earned you a soft purr from each, the sound making you giggle a little.

You plopped down next to where Justice was reading a book, a gloved hand turning a page. He didn't even glance at you as you shifted beside him, his arm curling around your shoulder and holding you in place. Karma hummed and plopped on your other side, his eyelight still intently on the screen where Serif and Red were once more going head to head.

You noticed Mutt was even in on it this time. He was leaned back in a worn looking computer chair and his eyelights were focused on the screen. His hood was pulled up and he was button mashing just as much and Red and Serif did when they found each other.

You watched as one of them shot the other down.

“how th' hell did ya get so damn good?” Red growled, his grip tightening on his controller. “thought black didn't let'cha play these games.”

“HE DOES IT WHILE HE'S HERE BEHIND MY BACK,” Black said as he came into the room. His eyelights flitted to you tucked into Justice's side, Karma's hand on your thigh, but said nothing as they went back to his brother. “SO LONG AS IT'S NOT IN MY HOME, I DON'T CARE.”

Karma chuckled, his body rumbling. “sounds t' me like you're losing control of your dog, short shit.”

Black snarled, but you swatted Karma's arm, shooting him a “knock it off” look. He simply shrugged before looking back at the screen, his thumb smoothing across your thigh. You felt a shiver roll through your body. You didn't notice the way Justice's grin grew a little wider and a little more smug when the skeletons looked his way.

You hummed as Papyrus came into the room, grinning at you.

“HUMAN! HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR DAD AND GRANDPARENTS YET?”

You blinked at him in shock. “You know?”

“SANS MADE MENTION OF IT!” he said, winking as he went to sit beside Stretch, who was playing something on his phone.

“what's he talkin' about, kitten?” Red asked, looking over at you.

“Oh. My dad and grandparents are coming for Christmas next week,” you said, smiling. Your eyes widened and you shook your head as his sockets narrowed. “No! No! Just dad, Mamaw and Papaw! That's it!”

The others looked at you funny, feeling the way your soul had given a little tremble. You may have been unaware of it, but the shock of fear and anxiety had them nearly jumping out of their seats and over to comfort you. It had been brief, but it was enough to get them curious.

Just what had happened on Thanksgiving to make these four hate some of your family so much, and for you to fear being near them?

There were no answers though as Serif let out a string of curses, moving his arm back to throw the controller in his hands. You were thankful when Red stopped him in time, laughing as Mutt merely shrugged. Black rolled his eyes, walking back toward the kitchen. You looked over to see Stretch looking at you.

You gave him a reassuring smile. You knew they would be worried your mother would show up. But with Mamaw and Papaw being there? There was no way in hell she'd even try. She was going to avoid your grandparents like the plague knowing they would tear her down now that she wasn't with their son anymore.

Or well, in the process of not being with him anymore.

You threw your legs over Karma's femurs, nestling further between the two as Pup and Shepard looked at each other before wandering off. You frowned at their backs; you were really hoping to get to talk to them a little bit. You hadn't been able to get to know them really, or even get to say more than hi. The others always seemed to find some kind of stupid excuse to be near you when they are.

You didn't dwell on it though as Blueberry came into the room, eyelights bright cyan stars. “HUMAN, IS IT REALLY TRUE WE'LL GET TO MEET YOUR FAMILY?”

You couldn't help the smile that graced your features. “Yeah, a couple of people. None of my cousins or extended family. Just my dad and grandparents.”

Despite that, he seemed excited as he bounced in place. He started talking about what they could make for the dinner and this drew in Edge and Black. Even Tango and Papyrus joined in, talking about the menu choices for next week. The five of them wandered off right as the front door opened. You watched as Axe, Crooks and Dusty entered the room, Crooks instantly being drawn in by the others to discuss the menu.

Your heart warmed at the sight. Over the months, Crooks had been slowly getting closer to the other skeletons, even getting to come over and cook with everyone. Sans and Axe were still hashing out the whole “Crooks getting a job” detail, but you were hoping for the best.

And if you had to flash some puppy dog eyes at Axe, you would.

You squeaked in shock as the grip on your shoulder tightened slightly. You turned to see Justice had set down his book, sockets narrowed at someone in front of him. You looked to see Karma had the same look on his socket. You looked to see Axe and Dusty in front of you, arms held out slightly.

You patted both boys, moving to get off of them as you stood. Almost instantly you were surrounded with Axe and Dusty. You laughed as you returned their simultaneous hug, giving them little pats. They merely looked over your shoulder, giving the demon boys smug grins before they pulled away from you.

“ya lookin' a little better, sparrow,” Axe said, moving a piece of hair out of your face.

“Thanks, Axe.”

“what's got all them so excited?” Dusty asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the skeletons in the dining room.

“My family is coming for Christmas,” you explained, smiling a little. “Dad and grandparents.”

“not your mom or nothin'? no siblings?” Axe asked nonchalantly.

You noticed the way Stretch, Red and Serif seemed to stiffen. But you merely smiled it off, shrugging and looking away a little.

“Ah, they're not coming,” you murmured. “Just those three.”

Axe hummed and Dusty narrowed his sockets, but he didn't say anything. Axe went off to go sit beside Stretch, who gave him a hearty nudge. While they were still wary around him, with your help, they were actually trying to include Axe and Crooks into the fold. It really warmed your heart.

Now that you were up, you were going to hunt down those new boys. Even if you didn't get much, you wanted to get to know them at least a little bit. It was only fair for you and them.

You grabbed your coat and slipped on your shoes, bundling up as you made your way out of the house. You glanced around on the porch, thankful that the boys' magic kept the porch clear of the snow that had been almost constantly falling. You could see the snowmen that the louder boys had made in their likeness, and could see the many footprints in the snow.

You finally took notice of the obviously larger, more animal like prints in the snow. You smiled, making your way off the porch and glancing around. Christ, it was getting darker outside. You didn't like this part of winter; the early days and late nights always messed you up. Muffet had almost had a heart attack when you were late the one day cause your body definitely wasn't accustomed to the change.

Your feet crunched in the snow, the whiteness glittering in the fading light of the day. You paused, noting that the prints ended at the edge of the woods, before they traveled further in.

Well, shit. There was no way you were going to be able to navigate in the woods if it got too dark. Not without your phone, which you left inside. You sighed, watching your breath fog up in front of you as you turned on your heel to head back inside.

“why are you out here?”

You jumped, a scream catching in your throat as your feet tripped over themselves. Before you could land on your ass, a pile of bones was catching you, helping keep you upright as you tried to get your bearings together. You sucked in a deep breath, letting the cool air fill your lungs before you let it out again.

You turned to see Pup standing on two legs some distance away from you. You were surprised by just how...tall he was. Maybe a little taller than Fresh and Crooks. You relaxed a little, turning to see Shepard making sure you were okay. You gave his cheek a little pat, which earned you a rumbling purr and nuzzle against your hand.

“I just, uh, wanted to find you two,” you whispered, glancing at the house. “I haven't really gotten to know you guys yet, and I want to try. At least a little, you know, without the others coming around...”

You trailed off, fidgeting with your coat. You could feel their eyelights on you, but you didn't look at either of them, opting instead to look at the snow on the ground. Your foot was in one of their footprints, and wow. Your feet were definitely childlike compared to theirs.

“you're cold.”

You jolted, looking up to see Pup had come closer. Shepard, behind you, let out a little, sad whine. You were definitely shaking, the cold seeping through your coat and shoes. Your hands were a little numb. You could still sort of feel your fingers.

“I'm fine,” you said, holding your hands out. “I just don't handle cold temperatures very well.”

Pup hummed a little. It sounded like a rumbling growl coming deep within his sternum. Shepard moved from behind you, coming to stand in front of you. He was on all fours, but quickly stood beside his brother. He was even taller than that, easily the tallest of your bondmates as of yet. He quickly unwrapped the scarf from around his neck, bringing it to rest on your shoulders.

You opened your mouth to protest, but he shook his head. He spoke as he wound it, careful to keep his claws away from your throat. It smelled heavily of the ocean on a warm summer day, and like freshly picked strawberries. Your heart gave a little flutter in time with your soul.

“It's Not A Problem!” Shepard said. “In Fact, I Insist! You're Our Mate, If I'm Hearing And Feeling Things Correctly.”

You nodded. “Bondmate, but yes.”

“why don't we go inside and try to sneak past the others,” Pup suggested.

You gave a wry grin, giving them both skeptical looks. “No offense, you guys are massive. Honestly, how do you expect to sneak past them?”

Pup smirked down at you, one side of his muzzle lifting to show off some impressive fangs. “we got our ways, dollface.”

The nickname made your face warm, but you just gave him a smile. “Well, if you're so sure. My room is the third floor, second door on the left.”

With that, you turned on your heel and headed back up onto the house. You turned, but noticed they had disappeared. You squinted, trying to see in the dimming light. But there was nothing there. You made your way up the steps and opened the front door.

The boys were arguing in the living room over the game. You chuckled, shaking your head as you carefully, quietly, pulled off your shoes and coat, putting them back where they belonged. Once you were done, you darted past the living room, heading for the stairs and charging up them.

You didn't notice the single white eyelight that followed you.

You made your way to the first floor, and you opened it to reveal Pup and Shepard already there, lounging on your floor. Christ, they took up a lot of space in such a large room. You didn't mind it though as you shut your door, heading for the TV Edge insisted you have and turning it on.

You used it to get to Netflix, clicking on your profile and turning something random on. Once you were satisfied, you sat on the floor next to Shepard. You took his scarf off, placing it back around his own neck. He let out a low rumble, but accepted it.

“so i take it you know exactly who we are then,” Pup said after a moment, his cat like eyes on the TV.

“You're Sans and Papyrus, but from a whole different world,” you said, shrugging. “To put it Kingdom Hearts style.”

“What Is This Kingdom Hearts You Speak Of?” Shepard asked, his claws raking over your leggings gently.

“It's a video game,” you explained simply. “We own some of them, so I can show them to you one day.”

“that'd be pretty cool,” Pup said. “haven't hit the surface yet in our timeline.”

“Were you close to being able to do so?” you asked quietly.

They were both silent, eyes riveted to the screen. You leaned against your bed, bringing one of your legs up and wrapping your arms around it. Your other leg was left out straight, letting Shepard trace his claws on the fabric of your pants.

“i would like to think so,” Pup said finally, his voice quiet, but tense. “didn't get a chance to see where the brat was before we were pulled here.”

You furrowed your brow. You didn't question it out loud, but you were definitely wondering what he meant by that. Who was “the brat” he spoke of? You were picking up on some things you should ask Sans at some point, cause maybe he'd know. But you were here with them to learn about them. Not to ask so many questions you lose track of what you're trying to accomplish.

“What was your Underground like then?” you murmured, leaning a little against Pup.

The rumble in his chest vibrated you, and it was pleasant. You were smiling as he leaned down, his muzzle nudging your head. He was nuzzling you, you realized faintly. You smiled a hand coming up to pat his jaw soothingly.

“pretty basic,” he said finally.

“For Us, At The Least,” Shepard said, moving a little closer to lay his maw on your leg. You other hand moved, fingertips grazing over his skull. His tail moved around happily as he spoke. “Our Underground Was More Like A Wild Animal Exhibit.”

“A zoo?” you asked, tilting your head a little.

“that what ya call em up here?” Pup huffed. “but, yeah, i guess, so.”

“There Was An Alpha, Beta, Omega Dynamic With Us In Our Underground,” Shepard continued, glancing at his brother. “Boss Monsters Like Ourselves Were Alphas. Monsters Like Grillby And Muffet Were Betas. Others Like Loox and Shyrens Were Omegas.”

You nodded along with him. “So boss monsters were some big bad alphas.” Your eyes widened as you looked at them. “How are you feeling around the others then? Since...they're all...boss monsters. At least, I'm sure Zapfino is...”

She had mentioned during the mall trip that she was a Judge. But you had no idea what they meant, and you had a distinct feeling they didn't have court systems Underground. Or did they? It really goes to show you how much you didn't know about them.

“the female skeleton? yeah, she's a boss monster,” Pup hummed, his breath tickling your ear. You stifled a little giggle as you felt him grin at the top of your head. “with the others around it's...going to take some adjusting. So many boss monsters – so many _alphas_ – under one roof can lead to a lot of issues.”

“Not all of them live here,” you explained. “Sin, Pink and Dusty live off in town, somewhere by the woods. Hunter lives up in the mountains in a ski resorts. The human boys live off somewhere I'm not entirely sure of. And G tends to wander.”

“What About Fresh And This Zapfino?” Shepard asked.

“Axe, Crooks, Z, Fresh, Black and Mutt all live on the property. The just live in cottages out in the back.” You tapped your lower lip. “Maybe if we talk to Sans, we could get one of said cottages for you renovated just like we did for Fresh and Zapfino.”

They looked at each other over your head, each of them thinking of trying to get you to stay with them when they get said cottage. You were surrounded by so many. If they kept you with them, they could more than assure your safety, and that you were well taken care of.

You spent a couple more hours like that, laughing and talking with them. You let them know you were actually in college for it, which led to a whole other conversation about what college even was. They asked what your life had been like, which you mostly avoided trying to talk about your ex or your family – for the most part anyway.

You weren't so excited when there was a knock on the door. Apparently, neither were Pup or Shepard as they growled at the door, their muzzles pulled back to reveal their fangs. You shushed them, knowing it wouldn't do any kind of good. During your talk, you had somehow managed to get tangled in bones and tails. You managed to get them all off, and you made your way to the door, opening it up a little.

Dusty stood on the other side, his hood pulled up and his gaze off to the side. When you opened the door a little more, his eyelights landed back on you.

“Hey, Dusty, what's up?” you asked softly.

“was, uh, wonderin' where ya went,” he mumbled, his eyelight casting behind you. “was gonna ask ya somethin', but ya look busy.”

He turned to leave and you grabbed his hoodie. He paused, turning to look at you. You gave him a little smile, really trying your best to ignore the gritty feeling under your fingers.

“What did you need to ask me?” you asked, head tilted.

He mumbled something you couldn't quite make out. Whatever it was, the other two in the room heard and scoffed. You heard shifting behind you, causing you to turn and watched as those two rose on their feet and came toward the door.

“we'll leave ya for the night,” Pup muttered, nuzzling your forehead. “night, dollface.”

“Yes! Goodnight, Sunshine! We Hope To See You Tomorrow When You Return Home From This 'Work' You Do!”

They shambled off down the stairs, probably going off to get food. You rolled your eyes with a chuckle before looking back at Dusty. He was fidgeting, a lavender hue taking over his zygomatic bones. Your brows nearly raised to the roof. You hadn't seen him this nervous since you first met him. He seemed to glance off to the side.

Out of habit, you did, too. But you couldn't see his Papyrus this time. You mentally shrugged it off when you felt an icy chill run through your body. It started from your shoulder and seemed to move down your whole left side. You gave a little smile in that direction, despite not seeing anything still.

“was wondering if...you'd like to come with me. For a little bit,” he murmured, the lavender shade on cheeks getting gradually darker. “haven't, uh...haven't been able to spend too much time with ya lately...”

Your heart melted and you smiled a little wider. Oh, he was asking you out. He was just a little nervous. You reached over to run a hand over his skull, the gritty feeling rough against your palms. It made you wince, just a little, but you ignored it as he looked up at you.

“Lemme change into a pair of decent pants,” you chuckled, moving to walk back into your room.

His hand shot out, gripping your wrist. You turned, eyes a little wide. He still wasn't quite looking at you, but the color in his cheekbones was fading, and his grip was gentle. His claws didn't even touch your skin as you were affably drawn back over to him.

“you don't need nothin',” he said quietly, leaning his forehead on yours. “you look perfect as you are...”

Your face heated up. You knew you'd be glowing red as Red or Edge's magic if they kept up this smooth talk. You nodded and his grin eased some around the edges.

“axe is coverin' for us,” he said, moving away a little.

You frowned now. “What do you mean 'covering for us'?”

He chuckled. “think about it, lilac. if i were to ask you out in front of all the others, how do you think they would have reacted to it?”

You definitely thought about it, humming a little. He had a point. If the others figured out the most insane of them had asked you out and whisked you off to go on a date alone, they would be rallying together to get one of them with you immediately.

You nodded thoughtfully before smiling at him and gripped your fist in his hoodie just a little tighter. “Then I guess we better get going before they figure it out.”

His grin was absolutely shit eating as he gathered you close to him. One of his hands came up to cup the back of your head. Your eyes closed tight as he brought you nose to sternum with him, his teeth grazing the crown of your head. The smell of eucalyptus surrounded you, wrapping you in a soft hug.

“hold tight,” he whispered.

The world shifted around you. It felt like you were floating. There was a faint whisper in your ear, but you shrugged it off to just your brain making noises for you in the expanse silence of the blackness surrounding you.

When you felt your feet hit the ground again, you waited a moment before parting from him. When you turned and adjusted your eyes to the area around you, you jaw dropped the slightest bit as your eyes widened, trying to take in as much of your surroundings as possible.

It was an art studio. There was a high ceiling with large, four paned windows. The sun had already set, but you could see the sight of the moon and stars through those windows. The room was covered with easels, paints, sketchbooks. There were papers scattered all over the place and random objects strewn about. Empty food wrappers and bags littered the ground. There was a coffee pot off in the corner by a stool that looked well worn.

You remember Thanksgiving. Red had mentioned that Dusty loved art, mentioned something about a friend of his helping him learn to curb his insanity. You turned in a circle, absolutely amazed at how much love you could feel coming from this studio.

It was the same type of love you always felt when Serif and Tango were at the dance studio. They always swelled with pride and their steps became lighter. Their smiles easier and wider. It was like they were home, in their own timeline.

“Is this room yours?” you asked softly, still glancing around. Your voice echoed slightly from the high ceiling.

The further you got in the room, the more you could smell the paints and oils around you. It was like coming home from a long day when you went through your art phase, just sitting in that one room after homework and practices, just letting the pencil scratch over the page, or watch the paintbrush smooth over the canvas.

It was relaxing.

“yeah,” Dusty muttered, coming up next to you. “i come here when...when things get pretty overwhelming. it relaxes me.”

You turned your head to look at him, eyes bright. Dusty just stared at you as you smiled up at him, nearly bouncing on the balls of your feet with excitement. You were practically _radiating_ right now. And it was because of him? It was because of him...

He made you like this.

He brought the smile to your lips. He made that wonder appear in your eyes. Stars, you were everything he had once dreamed of when he had been more like Classic. You were so perfect, in everything you did and said. You could try to take over the town, and he would be the skeleton by your side to take on your enemies.

He would go so many miles for you. And he hadn't even thought it would be possible. Not after that homicidal little shit drove him to madness. Not after he...he killed his own brother. After he dusted just about everyone he could to get his LV higher, he had deemed himself impossible to love, and would settle for never having a soulmate, or a bondmate.

He wasn't worthy for someone like you.

You deserved the whole world presented to you on silver platter. No, no, not silver...

_“You're Thinking Platinum, Brother.”_

Many years ago, hearing his brother talking to him would have freaked him out and sent him on a chase through the Snowdin forest and wrecking every tree and surface in sight. Or even chugging the last bits of monster alcohol in the Underground.

Now, he just simply turned a little, craning his neck slightly to see said brother better. You didn't seem to notice as you wandered off to go look at stuff.

“she just deserves so much, paps,” he muttered, turning so his eyelights trailed after you. “and look at me.”

_“What About You, Brother?”_

While the tone was mocking, Dusty shrugged it off. He would be pissed, too, if his brother came and killed him without explaining shit and just muttering incoherent shit. Oh, and all that was done while covered in their friends' dust! Classy.

He waved his arms a little before sticking his hands back in his pockets quite harshly. He glared at the floor, hands clenched in tight fists.

“i glitter like a fuckin' vampire in that god awful movie,” he snapped lowly. “i'm covered in dust.”

_“She Doesn't Seem To Care That Much. She Fights Off The Urges To Flinch From You Cause She Does Want To Know You,”_ his brother said, floating around to his other side. _“If Anything, Maybe You Should Tell Her How You Came To Be, You Know,_ You _.”_

Oh, now that thought didn't sit well with him. He could already see the way your face would scrunch up in disgust. How your eyes would darken with hatred and how you would be absolutely through with him. Stars, would you break the bond you had with him entirely?

“Dusty?”

And just like that...he calmed. Looking up at you, where you had taken perch on a stool, his soul slowly stopped vibrating angrily in his chest. He hadn't realized his magic had been swirling in tendrils around him, creating something similar to an anxiety driven hurricane.

That wasn't you, he decided. You...might have a hard time understanding, but he didn't really think you would try and shove away from him. But, stars, what if you did? What if he disgusted you so much, even though you knew what he was capable of after reading his file.

“sorry, lilac. i'm...okay,” he said softly, coming closer to you.

You reached out to take his hand, intertwining your fingers. “Sans. I called your name three times.” You looked up into his eyelights. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

His soul swelled and bounced in his chest. Stars, what on this earth made you so accepting and loving? So...perfect.

“can i...draw while i talk?” he asked, fidgeting a little and playing with your fingers, careful not to let his claws nip you. “it'll help...keep me focused and not freak out.”

You smiled and nodded, motioning for him to get situated. As he did, he decided he was going to draw something just for you. Something that when you looked at it, you would always think of him, no matter what the situation was.

You watched him get situated, a little frown on your lips. You had seen his early signs of a panic attack. He had gone somewhere, the lights in his sockets having gone fuzzy and almost...foggy. He had looked horrified, and had seemed to be talking with himself again. But you knew better than to think that.

He pulled out a sketchbook. It looked well worn, some pages missing or sticking out. There were a few pencils and an eraser brought out as well, all placed on a paint free table in front of him. You turned in your seat to face him, watching as his claws deftly moved over the pages to find a clean page before settling in his seat and taking a few deep breaths.

It was silent, minus the scratching of the pencil on paper. You knew he was setting himself up so he was already kind of calm while he spoke. You swung your legs on the chair, keeping your hands in your lap while you patiently waited for him to start.

“you know about the timelines,” he murmured suddenly, his pencil stroking over the paper with ease. “so you know i'm sans. in fact, next to axe, i'm the closest variation to classic.”

You nodded. “I thought about that before when I first met you. You and Axe both, actually. It was one of the tipping points where I knew something was up.”

He nodded slowly, his eyelights following the pencil in his phalanges. “at one point, i was just like classic, trying to escape the underground. incredibly lazy, couldn't stand the thought of lv. i _was_ him, y'know?”

The grip on his pencil hardened and you tensed, bracing yourself for what he was about to say. His eyelights seem to shrink in the slightest, but the stroke of his pencil never ceased. But you did notice he was moving a little faster, like he was trying to keep himself tethered to reality.

“i don't know how much classic has told you, but when the kid fell...” He let out a scoff. “when the kid fell, everything seemed fine. it was like i was able to hope we were finally going to be freed. and we were...

“but only for a day.”

You blinked. Sans didn't often talk about what happened underground, but you knew the nightmares were bad. You've been privy to a few of them after all. He often mentioned something about Papyrus being dusted, or how the kid was a traitor. You didn't know the full extent, but you knew you needed to listen, and probably ask Sans questions about this later.

“time seemed to move back to when the kid first fell.” Yeah, his eyelights definitely shrunk this time. “but it wasn't frisk anymore. it was the murderer. that nasty little twerp they won't let around me. i didn't realize what was going on until they came out of the ruins and covered in dust. they seemed to have a craving for monster dust and chaos.”

His voice was beginning to shake and the pencil in his hand was moving just a wee bit quicker. Your eyes were wide as he explained, and your mind played out the scenarios over and over. Your hands shook in your lap, clenching together until they were white as he continued to talk, sockets remaining on the paper in front of him.

“they went through the entire underground, killing and slaying any monster that got in their way. even the ones you know now. alphys, undyne, asgore, toriel. all of em. even the smaller monsters like loox and vulkins and pyropes. they were all cut down...”

He paused, looking at you. You could hear the rattling of his bones as his eyelights dimmed to the point they were almost extinguished.

“even myself.”

You weren't prepared for the pang in your heart as he admitted that. You felt the tears stinging your eyes, but didn't notice as he turned and went back to drawing, even if it seemed to be a little more forced. His rattling bones were the only sound that seemed to have overtaken the room.

“they even killed paps.” His voice broke along with your heart. “i found his dust at the beginning of waterfall. little did i know, it was the beginning of a never ending loop.”

You thought back to his file. It had said one TPR, and ninety-nine genocide runs. You still didn't understand a lot of what that meant. But you knew what genocide was, and you felt your eyes widening as you shook in your seat.

“they did this over and over,” Sans snarled now, his grip tightening. “constantly resetting time and going through the underground and continued killing. do you know how many times i grieved my brother? do you know how many times i sat at the edge of the forest and watched him die? do you know what it's like, trying to stop it, only for your brother having to take your place?”

You only shook your head. There was a lump in your throat that had settled there, stopping any kind of speech that you could have said. Your heart was pained and your soul thumped harshly in your chest. You looked over his shoulder to see Ghost floating next to him. Those manic orbs of eyelights in his sockets were pinned on his brother, but they seemed...softer. Sadder. Pained.

“a skeleton could only take so much,” Dusty finally said after a moment. He had stopped drawing. “so, i did what i felt i had to do. it was my turn to try and get the lv needed to stop that little shit from _**ruining my life**_.”

He let out a bark of manic laughter, and you could see the way his magic was swirling around him again. Lavender tendrils moved around him, creating something similar to a tornado, but slower. His entire body was shaking and the rattle of his bones accompanied his laughter. He had stopped drawing, putting his hand to his face. His eyelights were pinpricks, bright in the black of his sockets.

“i had to do it,” he said, laughter in his voice. “i had to do it, y/n. i had to kill them to protect them, and i had to do it. they never remembered anything! i was the only one stuck remembering the fuckin' loops this...this _demon_ put us through!”

Your eyes were wide as saucers at this point. He had looked at you, grin so wide it could split his skull. His head was slightly tilted as more lavender magic twisted around his body. His teeth parted, showing off the sharp canines you normally didn't see as his laughter echoed in the large building.

This was his version of a panic attack, you realized. This wasn't him just losing his ever loving mind. This was him panic, going through an episode. You knew you shouldn't do what you were about to; it could be dangerous. There was a slight foggy edge to his eyelights, telling you he wasn't really seeing what was around him.

You looked to Ghost, who was wringing his disembodied hands together. He looked from you to his living brother and almost immediately, he was shaking his head as you steeled your resolve.

_“That's A...Bad I...dea...”_

You didn't care.

You lurched forward, grabbing onto Dusty with all the strength you could muster. His magic pulled and picked at you. It like it was trying to remove you, trying to whip you and hurt you. You continued to wince and yelp even as you tried to get through to your bondmate.

“Sans? Sans, c'mon, baby! It's me, it's Y/n.” Your voice hitched as another tendril whipped at your arms. “C'mon, Sans, please. It's me. You're not down there anymore. You're not even in the same timeline anymore.” _Thank fucking God for that much._

You continued speaking to him. Slowly, but surely, the magic seemed to fade further away and his laughter and rattling stopped. You didn't even notice when he stopped until his arms crushed you to him, crushing your ribs into your lungs. But you didn't care. You choked in air as you hugged him, burying your face into his sternum as you talked to him. Your voice was shaking, your body was wracked with tremors, but you didn't care at this point.

He was hurting. You could feel it so thick in the air around you two. His pain, his regret, his anger. Everything was coalescing with his magic, thickening the air around you. You shivered, your hands fisting in the gritty fabric of his hoodie.

Stars, the dust was that of his loved ones. And he had to wear it, every day. Did he even try to shower it off? Were all of his clothes permanently like this?

It was a while. You didn't know how long the two of you were there, panting and holding on to each other. Your voice still shook as you bumbled out words of comfort from your mouth. You were babbling at this point, even as he moved away slightly, letting you out of his hold.

His hands cupped your face, claws grazing over your cheeks as he leaned down and captured your lips in a kiss, silencing you.

The smell of eucalyptus permeated every sense you had. Your eyes closed as your hands came up to cup his. You didn't feel the grit of dust as he kissed you, his teeth smooth against your mouth. Something prodded your lower lip, and you opened for him, pressing yourself a little closer.

The tingle of magic as his tongue brushed against yours sent shiver crawling slowly up your spine. His hands left your face, one arm wrapping around your waist, his other hand spearing through your hair to cup the back of your head.

Your gasp was swallowed as he deepened the kiss, pressing you closer to him. You felt his claws digging into your hip, skin threatening to break. You managed to cup that hands in time, even as your tongue tangled with his.

When he pulled back, he was panting, his forehead pressed against yours. Your eyes opened, watching as his eyelights grew fuzzy rather than foggy. They were back to their normal size, and you slowly wrapped your arms around his neck once more.

“i understand if you wanna break the bond with me,” he murmured, sockets hooding. “i wouldn't want to be bonded with me either; i just wanted one kiss before ya did it...”

You slapped a hand over his teeth. His sockets widened now, his head drawing back slightly as you narrowed your eyes up at him. You didn't move your hand as you spoke, voice soft but firm.

“I'm not breaking the bond with you,” you said. “Your past is heavy, sure. Your past is filled with hurt and pain. I get that. I'm not going to leave you because of it. But...maybe you could consider therapy?”

The two of you stood there staring at each other before he sighed, moving your hand from his teeth. You gasped as he lifted you on the table, moving the sketchbook to the side a little as he sat you in front of him.

“i'll go to therapy if i get another kiss like that,” he murmured, eyelights flashing teasingly.

Your sigh of exasperation was swallowed by his kiss as he leaned against you. A smile on his features that looked the most relaxed since you had first met him months ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: I'm gonna make this a cute, little fluffy date...  
>  _Angst train barrels head first into chapter_  
>  Author: Well, fuck.


	36. Zapfino's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learn about Zapfino's history.  
> You wished you were better prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR CHAPTER:**  
> 
> 
> **Mentions of abuse**  
> 
> 
> **Mentions of torture**  
> 
> 
> **Mentions of death**  
> 
> 
> **This is a heavy chapter. Please, take care of yourselves. I'll put a summary in the end notes if you don't think you can handle it.**
> 
> Everything written here - minus Readz's reactions - were written by Echo herself. Minus the few tweeks I did here and there to work my "author's magic" - as she calls it - the credit for this chapter goes to her.
> 
> She also gives you all full permission to go yell at her.
> 
> With that, I wish you all a safe and happy day. With everything going on right now, make sure you're safe and take care of you! Be safe out there, y'all. The world is goin' crazy.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com)
> 
> Want A Good Read?  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime on My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself.
> 
> Beta:  
> [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent)
> 
> Her Story (that I fuckin' love to pieces):  
> [Our Place Among The Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546)
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> Hope to see you there! ^^;

When Dusty got the two of you home, you gave him one more parting kiss before racing up the stairs. You could already hear the commotion downstairs, everyone demanding where he had gone off to. Seems like Axe had managed to hold them back long enough for the two of you to stay out at least until the moon was a little high in the sky.

When you made it to your room, you grabbed your phone and paused. You looked over at the hoodie Hunter had left with you during Thanksgiving. Sighing, you took your coat off and snagged his, throwing it over your shoulder and taking in a deep breath. The smell of grapefruit tickled your nose and you smiled. You wondered if he would come for Christmas next week. You missed all the boys, after all.

You ran off back downstairs, calling out you were going to visit Zapfino and Fresh. You hoped they heard, and didn't wait for a response as you made your way out the back door and into the snow. The snow crunched under your feet as you made your way to the little cottage, a little smile on your face.  
You got to the cottage and gave a little knock. There was a faint “come in” and you pushed open the door, poking your head around the corner before coming all the way inside. You knocked the snow from your boots before you came further into the house, shutting the door behind you. You toed them off before padding your way into the living room.

Zapfino and Fresh were both on the sofa, watching something random on the TV in front of them. They both turned to look at you, both smiling a little. Fresh gave a little wave the quietest “what's up, dawg?” you've ever heard in your life. Zapfino just gives you a little wave, inviting you further into the room.

You didn't miss the magic stains on her face that indicated she had been crying.

You sat on her right side, as Fresh was on her left. Your hand instantly went to hold hers, but you paused as you glanced down, noting that part of one of her arms looked...a little off color. In fact, you could have compared it to something like a prosthetic. It only seemed to the left arm, her ulna. There were nicks and scratches and scars that marred her bones, and your throat closed up a little.

Her hoodie wasn't her usual one today either. It was different, and obviously much bigger than her usual one. The fabric looked soft, if not really worn down.

But you still pasted on a smile as you grabbed her hand anyway, smiling up at her. “Happy birthday, Z. I know the song goes 'it's my party and I'll cry if I want to', but that's not something you should do.”

She let out a chuckle, but even to you it sounded forced. Fresh's teeth turned down in a small worried frown as Zapfino sighed.

“It's just...harder today,” she said, her fingers running over the off color arm. “Birthdays are always hard for me, but...it's harder because I miss them. Our family. They've been there for so much and I just miss them. A lot.”

There was a small pang in your heart as your soul clenched. Your grip on her hand tightened and she looked down at you with a soft smile.

“But you...you've been so welcoming,” she murmured. “Even when everyone else stood against us, you stood beside us. You gave us a chance and even helped us out. For that, I'm more than grateful. You've become like family to Fresh and I. You've made things...exceptionally easy for us, considering all the things you've done.”

She took her hand from yours and reached over and down, ruffling your hair. You let out a laugh as you tried to swat her hand away. There was still a sad smile on her teeth, but she seemed a little better.

“You're an honorary Queens, sweet pea.”

Your eyes widened as you glanced between her and Fresh. Fresh only chuckled, sending you the classic rocker symbol.

“welcome t' the family, poppet.”

Your heart swelled a little as you looked between the two. Their smiles were easy and you smiled at them. Your grin couldn't go as wide as theirs, but it was big enough to try.

These were two of the most reserved skeletons, other than Karma and Justice. You swallowed the happy tears, taking her hand in yours again. But you took care to see that it looked like the glove she usually wore was askew, as though she had tried putting it back on in a hurry. And you could see the tip of something poking from underneath.

Like someone had cut into her hand.

Zapfino cleared her throat uncertainly. You glanced back up at her. She took in a deep breath closing her eyes for a moment.

She opened them again, her eyelights shining just a tad brighter.

“And since that's the case...I feel you should know my past. I'm sure you have a couple of questions. And...I'm ready to explain them.”

Your eyes widened. You looked between her and Fresh. Fresh seemed a little uneasy about it, but kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She seemed to be staring far off into the distance. Trying to find the right thing to say, and how to say it.

You could only brace yourself as she opened her mouth.

“My mother...was the skeleton river person, and her name was Pacifino Delta. My father was a human perseverance mage named Edward Shadowwalker.” She caught your shocked look and gave a sad little nod. “That's right, sweet pea; I'm half human. And...so was my twin brother.”

Half human? Twin brother? You knew she had a brother, but a twin? Did it work like it was rumored to work with human twins? Your mind was racing now, trying to put all the pieces together in your head before she had even really started to tell the story. You simply clung to her hand, running your thumb over the metacarpals.

“His name was Cooper Black,” she said softly, the grip on your own hand tightening a little as she continued her tale. “Hybrids are far more powerful than either humans or mages. I'm a monster mage, and you know how a single human soul is more powerful than the entire monster population combined?”

You only could nod, your breath caught in your throat. Hell, you were still on the “half human and twin brother” aspect.

“Take that and double it. And that's what my brother and I had _each_. We were born two years before the war started in my universe. My mother had us, because she _knew_ the war was going to happen. In my universe, the war was premeditated. We were the bargaining chip, except, as you can see, we weren't human like our father. We were born skeletons, and that wasn't what she _needed_. A human hybrid was just as powerful as a monster hybrid, but monster hybrids could still be killed with intent. Not exactly a good soldier.

“That was just the beginning of my brother and I being useless to everyone else.”

You let out a choked breath of air, your soul thrumming in your chest as fast as your heart. Useless? Did she really think like that? Didn't her mother still love her and cherish her? There must have been some kind of love there.

Shit, who were you to talk? Your mother was no better at showing affection than a cactus. In fact, you were sure a cactus _has_ more affection than your mother.

“When I was a year old, there was going to be a meteor shower. I walked into my mother's room to let her know the shower was about to start. I found her crying over a letter, with a purple wax seal. It was from my father, saying their deal was over. She didn't have protection when the war started...” She reached her free hand up, touching the gash on her cheek with a graze of her fingers. “She threw the letter opener at me. She had intended to kill me, and so the letter opener cut clean through the bone of my skull. I ran away, and later woke up at Grillby's house. My brother was there, too, a matching gash in his skull. His was right above his left eye socket.”

There was a brief pause where you could sense the malice in the air, her anger peaking for a moment before she slumped again. Your heart was hammering in your ears.

“My mother told everyone humans attacked us. She had been...She'd been a loving mother before. She took care of us, and sent feelings of love and care through the bond we shared with her. But after this...that was all replaced with pure, black hatred. She sent feelings of said hatred and disgust through the bond. If she was in a foul mood, she wouldn't feed us. This happened over and over and over again. She'd even tell us that we were nothing.”

She shifted a little and you brought your legs up to tuck underneath you. This was heavy already. You could feel bile in the back of your throat as you thought about your own mother acting as though the only use you'd ever have was to have some kind of accomplishment, or some hobby that would turn out to actually do something for you.

Did your mother really hate you, like she claimed on Thanksgiving? Or was it just a heat of the moment thing, clearly meant to make you suffer and dwell on the fact for months, or even years to come?

Zapfino's voice brought you out of your thoughts.

“About three months after that incident, the war started. I was two when the Barrier was erected. That was the first and one of two times I would ever meet my father, and the last time I would ever see the sky in my universe. When my brother and I were five, our mother abandoned us to the king and queen.” Her teeth lifted in a small sneer. “It definitely wasn't better. They were cold. Distant. When we were...” She paused, taking in a deep breath. Fresh murmured something to her you couldn't quite hear. “When we were eight, the king decided to teach us how to use our magic. He pulled us into an encounter...and when he saw our souls, he instantly knew what we were.

“Who our father was. Even though me and Cooper didn't. My brother and I thought our souls were beautiful, but didn't get to look at them long. The king slammed our souls back into our chests and...and had the guards take us to the dungeon. The...”

She paused, her voice choking for a minute. The hand you were holding was wrenched from your grip, causing you to close your hand into a fist. Your hands were shaking, but it wasn't as bad as when you watched her rip the glove off, showing you a diamond cut into her bones.

It wasn't perfect like G's circles in his own palms. The diamond was coarse and rough, jagged and misshapen. It...looked like someone had struggled. Like she had fought desperately to avoid the fate she had endured. You watched as she gripped it, her phalanges going through it. It reminded you of Axe tugging at his broken socket.

_“I don't like diamonds.”_

The memory of her words at the mall echoed hollowly in your mind as you were finally able to piece it together. Holy shit...

“The royal scientist, a man named Wing Dings Gaster, strapped us down with leather straps, and proceeded to carve diamonds into our palms. From there, we became...well, slaves.

“We were told we were being punished for our sins.” Her fist tightened on her hand. “I was _eight._ What sins did I have? I was hungry, scared, and emotionally abused. And now I was being punished for something I didn't understand.”

Your mouth was dry as you sucked on your teeth, trying to keep yourself grounded. Your hand reaching out to grab her ulna. You knew you were trying to ground her as much as you were trying to ground yourself. Fresh looked over at you, and you only nodded, letting him know you were okay.

“The king and queen decided to take their anger at the mages out on us. Two little kids, who just wanted a home we could feel safe in. We were sent to the mines at the bottom of the mountain and sent to work. Grillby owned us.”

A fond smile crossed her fingers, even though it was full of sorrow.

“He was...like the father we never got to have. For most of our lives, he was the only one who was kind to us. He fed us secretly, until he couldn't without getting caught. And he taught us how to read and write. He taught us how to use our magic, and was the first one to tell us we were worth something.” She looks torn as she looked at you now, magic manifesting into mismatched tears at the corner of her eye sockets. “I...I just wish we could have saved him, too, when Error destroyed my universe. But Fresh was just so scared....we didn't have the time.”

It felt like the air had been sucked from the room. Your own tears were pricking the corners of your eyes as you glanced between the two of them. Fresh looked like it was his biggest regret in his life and he leaned down, skull thumping against hers gently.

“'m sorry,” he whispered. “i just couldn't lose my homie.”

Z glanced at him, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. “Don't be. I don't blame you. I never have, and I never will.”

She looked back at you, a hardness to her teeth and her eyelights bright in her sockets.

“Living in the mines was...” She let out a harsh scoff. “It was hard. I won't even sugarcoat it. There were four rules that were to be lived by, and were basically ingrained into you the moment you stepped foot in there. Hell, they weren't even rules. They were legit laws.”

She held up her hand, bringing up four fingers. You felt the horror growing as you looked between her and Fresh. Fresh wasn't even looking toward the two of you anymore, finding the coffee table you had chosen for them more interesting. Your gaze went back to Zapfino as she spoke.

“One, slaves are not allowed to heal another slave, to heal themselves, or be healed.” She put one finger down. “Two, if a slave is found healing another slave, both will be killed.” She put down the second finger. “Three, if a slave if found healing themselves or shows evidence of being healed, a family member of theirs will be killed. If they have no family, they will be killed.” She put down the the third, leaving one left. “Four, anyone not a slave found healing a slave will be forced to kill said slave.”

You felt the bile rising. It was acidic, but not as bad as the horrible burning in your eyes. She put down the last finger, her hands shaking. She had yet to put her glove back on, and you covered your mouth as the first tear trailed down your cheek.

Z grabbed her arms, hugging herself. One hand trailed over a nasty looking scar. You zeroed in on it, swallowing and wiping your eyes uselessly. There was a large gash; it looked like it must have been infected at some point. Instead of the ivory of their usual colored bones, this one part was a sickly looking gray.

“I...still have a slight phobia of being healed if I'm not in the privacy of my own home,” she said, easing out of her position. “I just...there's always that nagging fear in my mind. The first time Fresh tried...well, I went into a full blown panic attack.”

She takes a deep breath. Fresh has brought himself back into the conversation and nuzzles against her, murmuring something low. It sounded like encouragement, but you couldn't tell with how clogged your ears felt from holding back the onslaught of tears.

“We had rations, of course. And quotas. Everyone got the same amount. It didn't matter their dietary needs; everyone literally got the same portion. What could fill a small mouse would also be given to a large dog monster, like Doggo or something. We only got one meal a day. And if you didn't fill your quota, didn't get your rations. Coop and I, we...we were basically starving to death. Only our sheer amount of magic kept us alive.”

She takes in another deep breath.

“When...” Now she stopped, sniffling as she shook under Fresh's hold. Tears came to the corners of her sockets again and your heart plummeted. “On our sixteenth birthday, we were going to break the barrier. My brother and I both absorbed one human soul and...our power just tripled. That...” Her voice cracked and a little sob broke from her teeth. “That was the last time I saw him alive...”

Your heart and breathing stopped. Your grip on her tightened, but she either didn't notice, or didn't care. Your heart was shattering in your chest as she let out another quiet sob. A necklace – one you had noticed before but never commented on, was now in her hand, her hoodie gripped tightly as well.

“We summoned our dragons, our familiars, and began attacking the barrier. We...” She laughs now, the sound a little manic much like when Dusty had gone through his panic attack. “We were _almost finished_. Cooper said something about how we were going to be heroes...” Another sob tore from her throat as her grip tightened on the hoodie and necklace in front of her. Teal and purple tears streaked down her cheeks. “I watched...as his magic...his magic was just too much for his soul and then...” There was a vice grip on the hoodie and necklace now. Her grip would have been white knuckled if she'd had skin. Her voice was a mere whisper as she she continued, “I watched his skull explode from the inside out and he just...turned to dust...”

She inhaled deeply, her whole body shaking. You could hear her bones rattling in her grievance. Your grip on her ulna moved back to her hand, the one with the diamond. You clutched it tightly, determined to not let go.

“About five seconds later...” She reached up with the hand that was holding yours, both of your fingers brushing across the three giant gaps in her skull usually covered by her mask. Her eyelights met your gaze. “Mine did the same. I don't remember much after. I was in a coma for three months.”

Fresh gathered her close to him as she cried, her gasping sobs quiet even to your own ears. But your ears were ringing as thick tears rolled down your face and your soul throbbed in your chest. Pain seared through you, but you knew it wasn't your own. Not all of it, anyway. There were a few pangs that you knew came Zapfino, and the pain of losing not only one, but two people she loved more than life itself.

Christ, what would you do if you lost your dad? Or Morgan and Mouse and Gareth? They were all your rocks in this life. If you lost the only people who held your hand through all of the bad and stuck by your side, you would have been ruined, too. Hell, you weren't even sure you would try to really live anymore. You would just...go through the motions.

Fresh was murmuring to Zapfino, even as she moved away and whispered something to him. He didn't look too assured, but he let her move away a little, keeping his arm wrapped around her. She looked back to you, rubbing the prosthetic ulna.

“When I woke up? I was in chains. I...” She glances to her arms, and you followed her gaze as venom coated her voice when she continued, “I was tortured. They asked me questions about my past, my limits of my powers. Every time I gave an answer they didn't like...”

She lifted the arm with the prosthetic. Up close, you could see how it had been fused to the carpals and radius and bone of her elbow. There seemed to be a faint shimmer, only something you could see if you were looking so claw at it. Your eyes were drawn to it further, even as more tears spilled down your cheeks. Fresh reached out with a hand, tugging on a strand of your hair. You jumped, glancing at him.

He was trying to help keep you grounded. You were thankful.

“They broke my arm,” she continued, venom still in her voice. “Over, and over, and over again. Until...” She began to ramble, things you couldn't catch with how fast she was talking. Fresh instantly wrapped her up, shushing her and keeping her gaze on his.

He lifted one half of his glasses and you could see a purple tentacle slither out of the eye socket to wipe at her eyes. He took the hand you were holding, cause you to let go as he bumped his teeth against it in a gentle kiss.

She gave him a small smile before taking in a deep breath.

“They did other things,” she said softly, “but I don't want to discuss that.”

You nodded understandingly. You didn't care if you knew about that or not. She was opening up enough to you. This was something you craved some of the others would do, but they kept themselves tight toothed about everything.

Maybe one day.

“When they finally let me go,” Z murmured after a moment of silence, “my mind and body was broken. I was seventeen, Y/n. Barely sane. I attacked shadows and had horrible nightmares. I talked to myself a lot, too. Unlike Dusty, where he can see his Papyrus...I can't see Cooper. He's gone. I'll...I'll never see him again.” Her voice caught and you reached to grab her hand again. She let out a bark of humorless laughter. “Cooper is gone and it's just...it's _**so hard**_.” A sob tore from her again.

“Gaster and Alphys, who was still Gaster's assistant even in my universe, they _stole_ all the credit. They made it out that Cooper and I were traitors! That we had tried to stop them.” She snarled low, her eyelights flashing with magic angrily. Hands balled into fists, the one in your hand more gentle than you thought she could pull off in the moment. “My brother _died_ to break the barrier, and in return all I got was torture and the credit taken right by the tips of my phalanges. How the _fuck_ they thought that was okay is beyond me.”

Suddenly, she seemed to relax, as though the next part of the story wasn't as hard. You were relieved, admittedly. Your heart was torn and your soul thumping sadly. They both looked at you, their expressions soft as Fresh reached over, his thumb wiping the tears from under your eyes.

“At eighteen, I met Fresh. At first, I was scared; I mean...” She paused to let out a laugh, motioning to him with the hand you held. “Have you seen his outfit? Stars, it was atrocious at first. But...we clicked. He said a joke and I...laughed. I _laughed_ for the first time in literal _years_.”

Fresh grins at her. “it was th' prettiest sound i ever heard.”

She shoved him, causing you to let out a gag playfully while wiping just under your eyes where Fresh had. Your eyes ached and you were sure you had a red nose that could rival Rudolph, but you listened in as she continued.

“At first, he only came, what? Once a month? But then it because twice a month. Then three times. It escalated to two or three times a week and then every day when I finished my...'shift' for the day. He'd be right there, waiting for me. Ready to shoot off a horrible joke and make my entire day.” She chuckled.

“We didn't know we were soulmates right away, either, like most monsters do,” she said, scoffing playfully. “It was because our souls were so damaged, the signals you could usually get right off the rip took quite a while to reach each other. Our souls were just...too weak to properly convey that.”

She took in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly as she continued.

“About a year after he and I met, Error...destroyed my universe. Fresh managed to save me just in time. From there? Everything seemed to just...get better. I have a family. I was able to get over some of my mental issues. And I'm just generally a lot happier.” She leans into Fresh, nuzzling against him as he let out a rumble. “And it's thanks to him.”

Fresh leaned down, nuzzling her back and sighing. His glasses, only for a moment, turned into bold hearts before going back to their usual saying. You could have cooed if the look of mild despair didn't come back to Zapfino's features.

“I...I just can't celebrate my birthday anymore, sweet pea. There's too much misery behind it. So, instead of celebrating, I grieve. I...I just kinda hide and try to get through the day. And...it's hitting me harder this year. It's been thirteen years, y'know? He's almost been dead longer than he was alive and that really just smacked me in the face today.” She looked at the necklace and the hoodie in her hands. “It's so _hard_ , Y/n. He was my twin. We...we were quite literally our other halves; one soul that split off into two. If I hadn't absorbed that soul, I would have dusted with him. There's a giant hole within me, one that won't be filled ever again.”

She glanced at you, smiling sadly.

“It's hard. I miss him. And I miss my brother in laws. I just miss my family.”

It was quiet for a while, and you knew she was done speaking. Your heart was torn as you lurched forward, grabbing onto her and holding her tightly against you. Your body shook as you clutched her, not noticing the blatant shock on hers and Fresh's faces.

You never got to see it though, as you felt not only Zapfino's arms, but Fresh's arms come around you. You were dwarfed between the two of them as you shook and let out your own emotions at her story. You were blubbering random things to her. You didn't even hear what you were saying. But you did know you just want her to know you were there for her.

No matter the circumstance.

You didn't know how long it was before you were gently pulled away. You jumped, your puffy eyes looking over to see Fresh having had moved. He sat you down between the two of them, using a washcloth to dab at your eyes and under your nose. You snatched from him, cheeks red as he laughed and you finished up.

Hunter's hoodie was taken off and thrown over the back of the couch, easily close to you in case you needed the comfort. You were helped as you maneuvered yourself to sit comfortably between the two of them. You kept the washcloth clenched in your fists.

Your gaze went to the necklace and hoodie again. You reached out, brushing a hand over the fabric of the hoodie. You looked up at Zapfino, who gave you a little, sorrow filled smile as he held up the necklace.

“This is all I have left of him,” she explained. “The necklace is made with his dust, which is also resting inside of it.” She held it a little closer and let you look inside of it. You didn't touch it, though. “The hoodie I'm wearing was also his.” She brings up a sleeve to the unmarred side of her face, sighing. “The necklace never comes off unless I'm showering, taking a bath or, uh...” Her face suddenly erupts into a purple and teal blush across her cheekbones. You faintly caught the glint of freckles in the magic. “Y-you know.” She cleared her throat. “And the hoodie stays with Fresh in one of his little 'pocket dimensions', so nothing ever happens to it.”

You cackled, using the washcloth to wipe the last traces of tears from your face. You took in a deep breath before leaning on her and taking Fresh's hand in your own. Everything about them dwarfed you, but you were...content to keep it that way. You enjoyed the way you could lean on them like this, or ride their shoulders or backs.

After a few moments of silence, you whispered, “Speaking of family, some of mine is coming for Christmas next week. If ya wanna meet them, you're more than welcome to. It's gonna be my dad and Mamaw and Papaw – my grandparents.”

You felt Zapfino stare down at you. You could practically feel the eyebrow raise. “No mother?”

You winced. “Ah...no, she isn't coming. Neither are my brothers.”

Your voice cracked, and you swallowed the lump in your throat. You wouldn't think about that right now, not when Zapfino probably needed a distraction after the information dump she just gave you.

You fiddled with the edge of Fresh's jacket.

“So...”

Zapfino let out a little chuckle. “You're gonna ask about the others, aren't you?”

You nodded, your face flushing red.

Thus, you were sitting there for the stories. The stories of Ink, who was the protector the AUs, and was very forgetful. He also was soul bonded with Error, who was the destroyer. They had a couple of babybones together, and they were extremely happy, even if they did often bicker about the silliest things.

Namely, Ink's forgetful memory.

You learned of Reaper and Geno, you learned of how they could go from alternate universe to alternate universe. You were enraptured with some of the things they told you. You heard more about Cujo, her version of your Red. Of her versions of all your boys. In the end, you were just thankful that thanks to Fresh, she wasn't alone.

And now, thanks to Sans, you weren't, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of chapter:
> 
> Zapfino and her twin brother, Cooper Black, were half human monster mages. Their mother was the skeleton river person, and their father the perseverance mage before the war. Mother was no longer granted safety after Zapfino and Cooper were born, since they were skeletons and not humans.  
> Hybrid monsters are powerful, double magic each.  
> The gash in Zapfino's cheek came from her mother throwing a letter opener at her with intent to kill; same thing happened to her brother.  
> They were sent off to the king and queen, who were cold and distant.  
> Mother abandoned them and gave them up willingly.  
> King went to teach them magic.  
> Saw their souls, and who their father was.  
> They were sent to the dungeons.  
> Both had diamonds carved into their palms (hence the glove she wears).  
> They were sent to work in mines under the mountain.  
> Life was shit.  
> They were starved.  
> They tried to break the barrier.  
> Each had absorbed a human soul.  
> They were almost done.  
> Magic became too much for them.  
> Cooper's skull imploded from the huge amounts of magic.  
> Zapfino's did the same, but she was the only one to survive.  
> Woke up strapped and interrogated.  
> Had her arm - ulna specifically - broken over and over again.  
> Now has a prosthetic for it.  
> Goes to say how she met Fresh a year after she was released.  
> Explains the necklace she wears not only carries his dust, but is also made of his dust. And his hoodie is always in one of Fresh's pocket dimensions so nothing happens to it. Only wears the hoodie on their birthday.  
> There's the fluff.
> 
> \---
> 
> I apologize if it's still a little hard to read. If _anyone_ has an questions, I would suggest going to [Echo](https://echobird53.tumblr.com/) and asking. (:


	37. Christmas Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Christmas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...  
> Fifteen and a half pages later, I give you this catastrophe. Gods bless [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent) for reading through this and catching the errors my tired ass wouldn't have caught before. xD 
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoy your chapter! I'm off to take a nap before work tonight!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Want A Good Read?:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and Myself (:
> 
> Another Good Read:  
> [Our Place Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546) by Nascent.
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> Have a fabulous day, and remember, please be safe with the chaos happening out there. My state just gave the stay home order, sooo, unless I'm at work, I guess I'm gonna be writing a little more than usual. xD

Christmas was an...interesting affair.

Christmas Eve you had come home from your job at Muffet's tired and sore. And maybe a little agitated. Whoever let Karens in this world needed to be kicked in the shins. Hard. You were tired of them and their little fuck trophies.

And when you got home, you had spent a good portion of the night helping Sans, Serif, Red and Stretch wrap presents. There were a few that were already tucked away under the tree, with a large letter claiming whom they were for, and that they were from Santa. You didn't even question it as you helped the boys wrap the gifts to the sound of the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Four hours later, your door was nearly knocked off its hinges by four loud, excitable skeletons. Tango had nearly pulled you from your bed while Crooks was bouncing up and down on his feet. Papyrus and Blue were practically running through the house, knocking down every door they came into contact with.

You were surprised that none of them had holes in them at this rate.

You glanced at the clock on your phone as you trudged downstairs with some of the others, your eyes nearly bugging out of your skull. It was five in the morning. You rubbed a hand over your face with a groan. You were really hoping you could catch a nap before everyone, family included, showed up.

Once you made it to the first floor, you already heard Edge yelling at everyone in the house where they were supposed to sit. You muttered under your breath as you sat on one of the couches, damn near slumping over the arm of it as your body slouched.

A chuckle sounded off to your left as the seat next to you dipped down. A hand wrapped around your wrist, giving a gentle tug. You let out a whine, letting the hand drag you over to whomever it was pulling you to them.

“time t' wake up, kitten,” Red grumbled next to your ear. “otherwise boss'll have a fit.”

“No one should have woken me up if they wanted me to act alive,” you grumbled, groaning. You snuggled deeper into his hold. “It's so early.”

“THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO BED EARLIER!” Edge huffed in front of you. You looked up, glaring at him. “JUST GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO SLEEP BEFORE THE BIG EVENT TONIGHT.”

Karma scoffed from across the room as Justice seated himself beside his brother. Pup and Shepard came to stand behind you, though Pup ended up coming around to lay at your feet, his tail loosely wrapping around your ankle. You smiled down at him.

The others were sitting in their pairs, as well. Papyrus was bounding around Sans, whose head was nodding up and down like he was about to pass out on the spot. Stretch was trying to keep Blueberry still even though he kept trying to make a break for the presents. Tango was pacing, Serif watching his movements with an easy smile.

The others hadn't joined. You were a little disappointed, but you figured you'd see them later in the day. Instead, you dramatically threw yourself over Red's lap while he chuckled and Edge rolled his eyelights.

“But Edge, I'm so tired!” you whined, drawing out his name and the last word. “Come on, cut me some slack!”

He only scoffed, and with one more roll of his eyelights, he walked away back toward the presents. You heard Pup snort in laughter below you, causing you to grin and lean down to give his head a little pat.

You sat back up, rubbing your eyes with the heels of your hands. Man, you were exhausted. After the emotional roller coaster with Zapfino and Fresh, you had stayed with them for three days, learning more about them and how they came to be together. Some of the stories were kind of funny, and you had enjoyed spending time with them. But you were worried, mostly.

Zapfino had been acting so strangely to you. You knew she was upset, and she was still haunted by her demons. But you knew she had Fresh, and he would help her pull through. He was good with her, you decided, yawning.

Blue couldn't take it anymore as he finally yanked himself from his brother's grasp. You and a couple of the others were howling laughter as the tiny ball of energy threw himself at the presents, nearly dive bombing into the pile. Edge could be heard over your laughter, yelling that he should have been patient.

Because of course if it was anyone who knew about patience, it was Edge.

You rolled your eyes, covering your mouth as another yawn took over. Once Blueberry had dove into the presents, it started a chain reaction. You were pretty sure Justice was the only Papyrus who _didn't_ excitedly dive bomb into the gifts.

You glanced over at them, trying to be sneaky about it. Karma was sitting sideways in his seat, one leg on the cushion he sat on with the other dangling, foot on the floor. His elbow was propped on the back of the couch, his cheekbone resting in his palm. Justice was sitting normally, resting back against it with arms crossed and legs crossed at the ankles.

As though they knew, they both looked in your direction at the same time. Smirks graced them, a tiny bit of purple string seen from the side of Justice's mask. You squeaked, going red in the face as you turned back to see that Edge had given up, glowering as the others shifted through the gifts under the tree and setting them up into organized piles.

You could have sworn you heard their chuckles from across the room. You definitely felt the shiver going down your back.

Red grumbled something you couldn't hear, but Pup below you snorted and seemed to grip your ankle a little harder.

It took half an hour to get all of them organized into their respective piles. It wasn't that there were a lot. There were just a bunch of them making so many piles they ended up getting mixed up into five different piles for one person. You only watched on in amusement as the more excitable of your boys dug through and made sure all the presents were accounted for.

Once they were done, they went through one by one and made everyone open their gifts. Pup, Shepard, Karma and Justice didn't need much except for new phones and some things they would need while they were here. When Karma got the phone in his phalanges, his gaze locked with yours as his grin spread.

Oh, you were in trouble.

You ignored the butterflies in your stomach as you took in the rest of what the boys got. There were gifts of joke books, cookbooks, and the occasional scarf and gag gift. Red let out a bout of wheezing laughter as Papyrus yelled at him for getting Sans fifty whoopee cushions. The original Sans merely grinned from one cheekbone to the next, his eyelights flashing with mischief.

Just as Edge was stomping his foot at the gag gift of a collar for him from Serif – “calm down, quit acting like a _bitch_ , edgelord.” – you were handed a few of your own. They were smaller, some were bigger.

You glanced around and noticed they had all gone relatively quiet. Blueberry was practically vibrating in his place by Stretch, who had a sucker in between his teeth while he stared on. Sans and Papyrus were merely watching with grins on their teeth, as were Tango and Serif. Karma and Justice had leaned forward a little, their curiosity palpable. Red threw his arm around his shoulders as Edge and Pup only glanced at you. Shepard let out a curious whine.

Tentatively, you picked up the first box. It was small, and had blood orange wrapping paper with a carefully placed orange bow. Definitely Edge's. The one underneath was sloppily wrapped with a plastic red bow. That's Red's.

You opened Edge's first, careful not to tear anything apart too hastily in case it was something fragile. You opened the box carefully, eyes wide as you took in the choker that was nestled neatly in the velvet of the box. It was a simple piece. There was a skull with rubies as the eyes with diamonds surrounding it. It was set along a thick piece of black cord.

You looked at Edge, but he wasn't looking at you now. Some of the boys started snickering and picking at him, but he merely huffed and walked away, heading for the kitchen. You smiled, thinking you would have to thank him later when none of the others were around.

You picked up Red's and repeated the process. A bracelet welcomed you, silver with a few charms on there.

“thought ya'd like 't,” he rumbled next to you. “ya can add charms as ya like to 't, an' i gave ya a few t' start out.”

You brought it closer to your face and chuckled a little. There was an animal paw, a music note, a skull and a heart. You leaned over and pressed your lips to his cheekbone, which earned you a grunt and a smug grin. You laughed and you went through the process of each boys' gift to you.

Sans had gotten you a new set of shoes, which you had desperately needed. You weren't expecting him to buy such an expensive pair, though. You were going to have to be extremely careful with them. Papyrus bought you a few new Funko Pops you had been eyeing, and you hugged them to your chest. The Sailor Moon one was one you had needed to complete the collection of that series.

Blue had gifted you a new scarf and some new boots. The scarf was black, with cute cyan colored stars that reminded you of his magic, and when his eyelights changed shape. Stretch had gotten you a new hoodie, with a giant bumble bee and the words “I'm the queen bee” written in flowing script. You laughed, running a hand over your face as the others groaned.

Tango had gotten you a set of rose earrings, and a new pair of yoga pants that you could dance in. The material was breathable, and was stretchy. Serif had gotten you a pair of noise canceling headphones and new sneakers just for you to dance in. There was another box that you lifted carefully, eyes wide as you looked in it.

It was another bracelet, but it was corded and there were a few treble notes attached to it. They were silver in color and flashed in the dim light as you turned it this way and that. You smiled at him, his face flushing indigo as he grinned back.

When everything was said and done, the cooks of the house bounded off after Edge into the kitchen. The others and yourself stayed in the living room as you gathered all of your new stuff, readying it to take up to your room. You missed the way everyone was watching each other before they glanced at Karma and Justice, who were getting up themselves.

“We're Going To Head Out For A Bit,” Justice hummed. “We Won't Be Gone Long.”

“catch ya later, shit heads,” Karma added before they left the room and went out the back door.

You frowned. “I hope they make it back in time for dinner. Wonder where they're going.”

As you gathered the last of your stuff and headed upstairs, the others looked at each other and Red leaned forward, pointing to the back door. Pup sat up, moving to sit on the couch and watched as his brother followed the other loud mouths to the kitchen.

“they're fuckin' creepy,” he said lowly. “i don't like em 'round kitten.”

Stretch scoffed. “ain't gotta tell us. they practically avoided her for a bit until her ex showed up to the bar. the next thing ya know? they're all about her.”

“anyone else notice the lack of magic they use?” Serif murmured, his phalanges fiddling with the new fingerless gloves you had gotten him. “they can go through the void with shortcuts. but other than that i haven't seen any kind of magic use.”

“i don't like the way they smell,” Pup rumbled, eyelights cutting to the back door. “they're off. somethin' about them makes my bro and i uneasy. specially the one with the mask.”

The others nodded along.

“i've noticed they call it the veil,” Sans muttered, his sockets narrowing. “just keep a socket on em. for now, i think it's nap time with princess.”

The five of them seemed to have the same idea as they teleported into your room. You were already curled under the covers, eyes shut and snoring softly. Pup wasted no time in getting on the bed, laying by your feet and curling up with his tail wrapped around him.

The others looked at each other and shrugged, slipping off hoodies and shoes and slippers before following suit. Within moments, you were surrounded in bones and cloth, each skeleton pausing to give you a little nuzzle and cheek kiss before they followed you into the world of dreams.

A few hours later, you were slowing rising again, humming a little at the warmth that surrounded you. Your buried your face into fabric instead of your pillowcase, causing you to slowly open your eyes, blinking away the sleep.

Your eyes landed on the rising and falling chest of Red, who was curled up around you. You caught the sight of Stretch's sleep tank top from behind him. Moving as little as you could, you glanced down to see Pup laying by your feet, his tail curling around him before wrapping around your leg.

You shifted a little to turn. Serif had buried himself in your back, snoring softly. Sans was half off the bed, causing you to snort softly. His sleeping patterns are just as crazy as they always were.

You yawned, moving so your back was to Red. He didn't even protest, grumbling something about being comfortable before his arm was curled around your waist again and you were firmly pressed back to ribs with him. Serif grunted, his arm curling over Red's and nestling you chest to ribs with him.

Just as your eyes shut, you glanced over to the end of the bed. You almost let out a startled yelp as Karma glanced down at you, a little grin on his teeth. His white eyelight flashed at you momentarily, and you opened your mouth to say something, or ask what he thought he was doing.

But he held a single phalange up to his teeth. His sewn socket stretched a little as though he was trying to open that eye, but it settled before you could question it. But his single eyelight just stared at you, a happy grin on his teeth.

And when you blinked...

He was gone.

You glanced around a little, lifting your head, but it was like he hadn't been there at all. The only way you knew for certain it wasn't a dream was the way the scent of copper filled the air. You let your head fall back onto the pillow with a soft plop and yawned, shutting your eyes again.

At least, until your body told you that you had to get up right then and there.

You groaned, trying to keep the sound quiet enough so it didn't disturb the others. But it was too late. There were the sounds of shifting coming from all around you as the others slowly began to move and adjust themselves. When you glanced up, Serif's eyelights were on you, fuzzy around the edges as he gave you a soft, sleepy smile.

“morning, sweets.”

“Hi,” you murmured.

Red's arms tightened around you as he stretched his legs out. You grunted as one of his phalanges pressed on your bladder and you groaned as he snuggled in closer to you, nuzzling against the back of your neck.

“yer so fuckin' warm, kitten,” he grunted.

“Well, that sucks, cause I have to pee,” you said, trying to nudge them all away from you. Pup let out a low, keening whine. “C'mon, you guys, let me pee!”

After wrestling away from the pile of bones you found yourself in, you booked it to the bathroom and relieved your poor bladder of its issue. Once you had washed your hands and dried them off, you made your way back to the bed, rubbing your eyes.

Pup moved a little so you could crawl back onto the covers. The others moved so they were back in their positions. They had switched out, with Stretch and Sans sleeping beside you now. You were pulled against Stretch's sternum, the thrum of his magic soothing as your eyes drifted shut again.

...and then it was shattered.

The door to your room was thrown open, the knob hitting the wall behind it. You jolted, attempting to sit up to see who was trying to get their ass beat by disturbing the peace. But Stretch and Sans didn't even budge, which in turn means you didn't either. You heard and felt Pup let out a groan, a low rumble in his ribs.

“BROTHER! THE OTHERS ARE ARRIVING!” Blueberry's voice was filled with excitement as he joined the five of you on the bed, jumping up and down on his hands and knees. There were bright cyan stars in his eyes. “COME ON! BEFORE MUFFIN'S KIN SHOW UP! WE NEED TO GET READY!”

With that, he bounced off the bed with a perfect cartwheel and bolted out of the room again. There was a pause before there was a collective groan from four of the skeletons. You glanced at them, eyes wide.

“Is he okay?” you asked.

“someone gave him sugar,” Sans groaned. “fuck, he's going to be bouncing everywhere for the next ten hours.”

“betcha he tricked one o' th' newbies t' do 't,” Red said, sitting up to be seen over Stretch. “he's got one helluva sweet tooth.”

“More than this one?” you asked, stabbing a finger at Stretch's sternum.

“i can handle my sugar highs,” Stretch muttered. “my bro? not so much.”

You sighed. The five of you untangled yourselves from each other. Serif, Red, Stretch and Sans all gave you chaste kisses before going off and getting ready for the day. You paused in your own steps to get ready as you noticed Pup had yet to move from your bed. In fact, he looked like he was about to fall asleep again.

“Pup?” Your voice was soft and he opened an eye lazily to look at you. “Are you not going to get ready? There were some clothes for you that you can wear and use.”

“don't wanna scare 'em.”

Your eyebrows shot up as he shifted. He was still laying on your bed, but his head lifted and his tail swished around behind him. He looked bored, but there was a pang of sadness through your soul you knew came from him. You went to sit on the edge of the bed next to him.

“What do you mean?”

He snorted, what looked like smoke coming from his nasal cavity. “dollface, have ya seen me? i'm a fuckin' monster, in every definition of the word.” He leaned in close. “i'm a dog, a skeleton, and a disaster all wrapped up in one huge package.”

Your mind was quick to admit that your brain took that the wrong way for a few seconds. But you shook it off and scowled at him, placing your hand on his/ The claws on his phalanges were definitely long, terrifying looking even. But you weren't scared. You didn't think he'd hurt you.

You smiled at him, tilting your head a little. “I think they'll adore you,” you said quietly. “You're a giant teddy bear, and you're gentle. That's all they want when it comes to me, you know?”

He stared at you for a moment before his fangs turned up into a grin. His sockets lidded as he leaned down and pressed his muzzle to your cheek in a little kiss nuzzle. You closed your eyes as he did, his warm breath tickling your cheek as you chuckled.

“i'll go get ready then,” he murmured.

He slinked off the bed as you opened your eyes, leaving your room and heading for his own. You waited for a moment until you heard his door close and you sighed. Once you had collected yourself, you heaved yourself off your bed and made your way to the closet.

Since you weren't dealing with your mother and her absolute need for you to get all fancy and made up, you picked out a simple sweater and vest combo before heading over to the dresser to grab out a pair of jeans. Once that was situated, you grabbed your bra and panties and made your way to your bathroom to wake up and get dressed for the night.

You were getting excited. You got to see the family members that mattered the most to you, and you were ready to see their faces. You were mostly excited for them to meet the rest of the boys. Or, at least the ones who would be here.

You knew the ones in the house and the ones in the cottages out back would be here. You didn't hear anything about Hunter showing up, or the human boys. You didn't even hear anything about Galaxy or Stars, and you didn't hear anything about Dusty, Sin and Pink. You knew G was bound to show up.

Even if it was just to kick Sans in the ass.

You smiled to yourself as you showered and scrubbed your hair a little. You let the water run over you for a moment as you stared at the tiled wall, frowning a little.

But how would they react to so many of them? After all, Mamaw knew the situation, which means your Papaw knew. They told each other everything. But your dad, you weren't sure. He might end up thinking the worst. He was your father, of course.

He'd probably make some remark about how he didn't care so long as you were taken care of.

With that, you finished up your shower and got out. After quickly drying your hair and blow drying it, you got dressed and made your way into your room to put on your jewelry and tiniest amount of makeup. Once you were satisfied, you ran a hand through your hair and skipped out of your room, leaving your phone behind.

You made it to the first floor and had barely taken a step forward when you were yanked into a hold. The smell of chocolate and apricots filled your senses and you laughed as Sin twirled you in a circle, cooing at you.

“oh, cutie, you look ravishing!” he murmured against your cheek.

You shoved him off, laughing more as you and him trailed into the dining room. The entire house smelled of an array of food. You were swept into a hug by Pink, who leaned down and brushed his teeth across your cheek. You grinned and gave him a small kiss on his cheekbone back, moving out of his arms.

Only to squeal and run for Hunter, who was leaning against the archway leading into the kitchen. You jumped as you got near enough, sending yourself flying over to the chuckling skeleton. He caught you with ease, bouncing you a little as you landed in his arms. Your arms wound around his neck tightly as you pressed yourself to him.

“I haven't seen you since Thanksgiving!” you breathed out, pressing your cheek to the fluff of his hoodie.

He hummed as he nuzzled against the top of your head. “yeah, sorry about that. heard ya been goin' through your own issues, bambi.”

The nickname slid easily from his teeth and you practically melted. But you only smiled and moved away. The jacket he wore was the same one he had lent you a month prior, but it was a little more faded than the one currently hanging on the back of your bedroom door.

“Yeah, well, I'm a big girl,” you said, puffing up your chest a little. “I can handle anything thrown my way.”

You heard a snicker and turned to see Justice was sitting at the table, his book in hand. You noticed the way Hunter tensed and moved a little closer to you, even as Blueberry came crashing out of the kitchen. And now you understood why the others thought today was gonna be long.

He was practically vibrating in his spot, eyelights still in their star forms as they scanned over the room quickly. Once they landed on you, you were gathered into a bone crushing hug that knocked the wind from your lungs. While his usual energy was always contagious, something about this new bit of energy was knocking you on your ass.

“MUFFIN!” Wow, his voice was even a tad louder. “I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU UP AND MOVING! COME! WE MUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT FOR YOUR FAMILY!”

That caught the attention of some of the skeletons. Hunter raised a brow bone as G came sauntering in from the kitchen, coffee mug in hand.

“ya family comin' for a visit, angel?” he asked, stooping down to kiss your cheek.

“Just my grandparents and father,” you murmured, shrugging. “Not a big deal.”

“I think it's a big deal.”

Zapfino had come up behind you, Fresh in tow. She wore a themed sweater, but it said “I'm married to the crazy idiot”. You snorted, but damn near started wheezing in laughter when Fresh appeared behind her wearing a matching sweater that said “I'm the crazy idiot”.

You nearly jumped from Blueberry to hug the giant skeleton, wrapped your arms around her lower ribs, careful where you touched. She chuckled and gave you a small hug back.

“Can you come with me real quick?” you asked, nearly bursting at the seams with excitement. You looked to Fresh, who gave you a subtle wink as Zapfino's brow bone rose.

“I mean, sure.”

You snagged her by the sweater she was wearing, nearly bolting out of the kitchen as you ran right back up the stairs. Last week, during those three days, you had lamented to Fresh about wanting to fix her mask. After a call to your dad, someone he knew was willing to see what he could do to piece it back together.

He had managed to somehow get the pieces from their room and hand them off to you before you left to head back to the main house. You had Sans take you to see your family, meeting your dad at the person who would be able to help you. When you had gotten the clear he'd be able to put everything back together again, you had nearly cried.

You would be able to get her mask back after all.

Once in your room, you almost threw her in the room and slammed the door shut. After a moment to make sure none of the others had followed, you turned to see her. She was staring at you with a mix of amusement and confusion. You ran to your desk and dug through the drawers before you pulled out the wrapped box you had put the mask in.

You went back over to her and held it out carefully, suddenly very nervous. You played with the box for a moment before she took it slowly, eyelights moving from the box to your face. Your face heated as your arms dropped to your sides.

She sat on the bed and began to unwrap it carefully. You cleared your throat.

“I...I know how much this meant to you, and I felt bad because your anger at Black kinda caused it to...shatter.”

The box was torn open and there was a pause. But it only lasted for a moment before you were wrapped in a hug, crushed against Zapfino as she shook above you, taking in a deep, gasping breath. It sounded like she was trying to hold back tears.

“Thank you, sweet pea,” she choked out. “Stars, thank you. I was...this was a gift. From my Grillby. I've had it for so long and didn't think I'd even get to wear it again.”

Your heart soared as your arms wrapped around her, having to stand on your tip toes just to do the simple action. The two of you remained like that, even has you smoothed your hand over her skull and made sure to avoid the gash in her cheek and the holes. Your soul was shaking, but it was thrumming happily.

You were sure you were going to die from lack of oxygen until she pulled away, hastily pulling on the mask. It fit like a glove, settling on her skull with ease. She tapped it a few times, and she smiled when nothing flaked off or crumbled under her touch.

You were excited as the two of you left the room, hand in hand. You were practically skipping as you made it to the first floor and made your way back into the dining room, where Axe and Crooks were now at. Crooks let out a gasp and ran to your side, scooping you up in a hug. You were sure getting a lot of hugs today.

Can't say you were complaining though.

“HUMAN! HAPPY GYFTMAS!”

You chuckled, returning his vigorous hug. “Happy Gyftmas, Crooks.”

The second you were placed on your feet, you were drawn to Axe's side, where he nuzzled against you and sighed into your hair. The moment was lost, though, as the front door slammed open, cracking against the wall and Black came into view. Mutt was on his heels, shaking his head.

“m'lord, those are–”

“WHY ARE THERE MORE HUMANS AT THE DOOR?” Black seethed, his baby blue eyelights cutting to Sans, who had come into the room. “WHEN DID WE INVITE MORE?!”

Your gasp and grin must have reminded him, but you didn't catch anything said or done as you bolted from the room. The second you turned the corner, the sight of your father, Mamaw and Papaw had you nearly falling on your face running for them.

You ran right into your father, whose arms were around you the second you collided into him. The smell of his body wash and shampoo wrapped around you like a familiar blanket, and his chuckle settled your frayed nerves. You pulled away for him to bend down, kissing your forehead gently.

“Hey, baby,” he murmured.

“Hey, dad,” you whispered.

You separated from him long enough to nearly bowl over your grandparents, who were just as eager and happy to see you. The four of you spoke for only a moment before you ushered them inside out of the cold.

Once inside, you heard the others begin to trickle into the hallway. Papyrus was the first one to push himself in front of everyone, holding his hand out excitedly.

“Y/N'S FAMILY! WELCOME TO OUR HOME!” he said, taking your father's held out hand. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU'VE ALREADY MET MY LAZY, NOT SO GREAT BUT STILL PRETTY COOL BROTHER, SANS!”

Your father chuckled, which made your shoulders droop with ease. Everyone came forth to introduce himself, and when they got to Black, you realized exactly why Blackberry had come storming in.

“Oh, you're still so cute,” your Mamaw murmured after he straightened from his bow.

His entire body went rigid and your hand definitely met your face. So that's why he'd been so upset. Christ, your Mamaw was going to make it hard for you today.

After the initial gathering, the Papyrus and Papyrus types announced dinner would be done soon. The rest of you gathered into the living room, where your father and grandparents gave you a couple of things. You smiled, setting them down under the tree before sitting next to the others.

Mutt was instantly sitting by your right leg, and Pup took up the spot on your right. Sans and Red sat near your family and Stretch took up the right side of the couch next to you. Serif took the right and you felt Zapfino and Fresh standing behind you.

You had never felt more content than you did right then and there.

Axe tugged his beanie down a little more before he smiled a little at your grandparents. “it's great to finally meet'cha. sparrow talks about you a lot.”

Your dad chuckled. “Ah, yes. I believe you're...Axe, correct?” At his nod and grin, your father continued. “She's told me some stuff about the lot of you as well. Mostly that some of you live on the property while some of you don't.”

“got that right,” G chuckled, leaning against the archway. “pink, sin, dusty and myself don't live on the property. we live a little ways away, but we're still nearby.”

You glanced around as they talked, noting that Karma and Justice haven't come through yet. You frowned, wondering where exactly they could have gone to. After looking for a moment for purple threads and a mask, you gave up, huffing. Well, if they didn't want to join you, then fine.

Or that's what you were thinking when you noticed Karma sauntering in, hands in the pockets of a new pair of jeans. They fit him well, and you had made sure they were baggy enough that they didn't bother the strings you had seen on his patellas. His hoodie was still on, but the sleeves were shockingly pulled up. His ulnas and radiuses were showing, and it sent you into such a shock, you didn't hear your Mamaw introduce herself.

“nice t'meet'cha, madam,” Karma said when you tuned back in. He took the hand she offered and bent down over it, pressing his teeth to it gently in a kiss. His eyelight was on her face. “they call me karma.”

“smooth motherfucker,” Stretch grunted, rolling his lights.

Your Mamaw huffed, her face a little red as she pulled it away. Karma only chuckled and went to sit on the arm of the chair beside Stretch. The latter only grumbled a little more before your Papaw drew you out of your musings.

“So how many of you live here?” he asked, leaning forward a little. “I knew about the four I met at Thanksgiving.”

“in the house itself? twelve,” Mutt said, leaning on your leg a little. “six pairs of brothers. my brother an' i live in a cottage, as do zapfino and fresh, and axe and crooks.”

“Dusty lives in his own cottage on Sin and Pink's property,” you said, leaning a little on Serif. “G tends to travel around, but will stay with Sin and Pink when he's not.”

Hunter came into the room, and your Papaw's good lit up when he saw the camoflauge. You could have groaned; there was no way you were keeping his attention now.

“Hunter, this is Mamaw and Papaw, and my father,” you said, your finger pointing to each one. “Papaw and dad like to hunt.”

That seemed to not only catch Hunter's attention, but Karma's attention as well. You would have questioned it if not for the unholy screech that came from the kitchen followed by Edge's roughened growl.

“JUSTICE! WHY ARE YOU GIVING THAT ANNOYING BLUE RAT COFFEE?” he snapped. “YOU KNOW HE CAN'T HAVE IT!”

You didn't hear what Justice said, but it was definitely not what Edge or Blackberry wanted to hear as they both snarled something in return. You took one look at the others before you, Stretch and Mutt bolted from your spots, running for the dining room.

Justice had moved away from the ire of the two Fells. Papyrus was holding Edge as Tango was trying to keep Blackberry from summoning his whip. Your eyes darted all over the place as the others rushing in behind you. You noted that Karma was coming into the kitchen leisurely, laughing his ass off while he was wheezing.

You tried to _not_ pay attention to the hint of fangs you saw.

He took up his usual place by his brother. Through the corner of the mask, you could see a little smirk on his teeth as he watched the Fell versions of himself and his brother snarl and snap at him. As your eyes wandered around, you couldn't help but wonder.

“Where's Blue?!”

Everyone who had been in the kitchen pointed to the window leading out back. You ran over to it and almost slammed into it while you watched one of your more energetic mates doing laps around the backyard. While he was doing cartwheels and handstands and practically flying through the air. You were pretty sure that he was physically vibrating as he moved around.

You whirled back around, seeing your family had followed into the kitchen to see the commotion. You sighed, rubbing your forehead and giving them a shit eating smile. Your father was laughing as he watched Blue bouncing around outside and your Papaw was shaking his head and mentioned something about it reminding him of you when you were a kid.

And thus, all heads turned to him.

“WHEN Y/N WAS A KID?” Crooks asked, his gloved hands clasped together.

“Oh, I Would Love To Hear Those Stories,” Justice murmured, earning a snicker from Karma.

“oh, there must be some kind of embarrassin' details in there somewhere,” Mutt chuckled.

“Is no one concerned over the fact someone gave the most energetic skeleton in all of existence caffeine?” you asked, trying to steer the conversation away from embarrassing stories.

“It Was Only A Few Cups Of Coffee,” Justice said, waving a hand.

Your eyes could have bulged out of your skull. “How many is a few?!” you whisper yelled.

“Six.”

You could have had a heart attack right then and there as your Mamaw started wheezing in laughter.

“Oh, this is going to be good,” she hacked out through her giggles. “This is way better than spending time with the family.”

“BUT YOU ARE FAMILY!” Papyrus said, glancing at your Mamaw with wide sockets. “ANY FAMILY OF OUR PRECIOUS DEAR'S IS FAMILY OF OURS!”

There were quiet murmurs of agreement around the room as everyone nodded. While your dad and Papaw nodded and struck up conversations, you noticed the way your Mamaw's eyes narrowed, taking in each of the skeletons around and shooting a look out the window at Blue now using tree branches as monkey bars.

She must know something was up, but nothing was said from her. Everyone trickled into the dining room once Pink announced dinner was done, and it was time to eat. Stretch sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as he trudged outside to corral his brother. Your sympathy went with him.

You were once again sat at the head of the table, with your dad and Papaw on your left and your Mamaw on your right. The boys had managed to make the table a little longer so everyone could be seated. Once everyone had settled, they bombarded your family to tell tales of your childhood.

And so the embarrassment began.

You were really considering proposing to the mashed potatoes Edge handed you as your Papaw told them of the time you had caught a catfish, but had managed to poke its eye out with the hook. While he proceeded to tell them of how you sobbed, Hunter was laughing until there were teal tears coming from the corner of his sockets. Red was equally amused, leaning on Sin as he cackled loudly. Edge and Black were trying their best to hide their grins, and were horribly failing.

This launched your dad to tell the story of how you managed to break a fall using snow. When you had climbed a pine tree so high and you had slipped and had fallen, and had somehow managed to not break a single bone on the way down. This sent more of the boys into loud laughter, and Blue piped up.

“ARE THERE PICTURES!?”

Their attention was caught again as they stared at the three new humans at their dinner table. You groaned, putting your head in your hands as you shook your head.

“Stars, please, don't...”

“I might have a few I can swing by someday,” your Mamaw hummed. “She was such a cute baby, after all.”

 _Kill me now_.

You prayed to any deity that you would be swallowed whole by the floor. But there was nothing there, nothing to swallow you and nothing to take you away. Your cheeks were red as they continued to tell stories of your childhood, embarrassing and good. G was damn near hacking up a nonexistent lung, and Sin and Pink were flushed with their magic colors from laughing. Edge and Black had given up entirely on hiding their grins, and Mutt was smirking at you from across the table.

Sans had laid his skull on the table, so you couldn't see his expression, but judging by the way his shoulders bounced, he was just as entertained. Papyrus, Blue and Stretch were paying rapt attention, asking questions and laughing. Fresh was leaning on Zapfino as his fist hit his leg a few times, laughter torn from his teeth. Zapfino had an easy grin on her face, but you could tell she was wheezing from the fact she had been laughing at a childhood fail that had almost caused you your first broken bone.

“Y-you're telling me,” Zapfino paused to continue laughing for a moment, “that sweet pea over there tried to lift a mallet five times heavier than herself? To do what?”

“She didn't like the mouse in the basement,” your Mamaw mused, cutting a glance to your reddened face. “She panicked, tried picking it up, and narrowly missed crushing her feet.”

“It scared me!” you whined.

This had everyone around the table laughing, coughing and wheezing as they listened to the stories. Truthfully, you wished the others had come to meet your family. Despite the fact Justice had given Blueberry six cups of coffee, and the fact that everyone still seemed on edge with Zapfino, Fresh and Karma and Justice, everyone was...genuinely enjoying their time together.

Once dinner was done, you counted down in your head. Once you hit zero, you heard Black's indignant shout for you, calling for you by his nickname for you. You grinned, picking up your own stuff before slowly making your way into the kitchen where Mamaw was trying to push the skeleton from in front of the sink.

“PET! CONTROL YOUR EDLER!” he snapped, shockingly remaining in place despite her shoving.

“Elder! I'm not that old, ya walking corpse!” your Mamaw laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “Let me help you!”

You rolled your eyes as you came further into the room. Once you set your stuff down, you leaned over to press a soft kiss to Blackberry's cheek, ignoring the way baby blue lit up his face like one of the Christmas lights.

“Mamaw, c'mon. You know better than this,” you chided, taking her hand and giving a little yank. “You're a guest here. You don't make guests do this in your home, and you're not doing it in ours.”

She grumbled but followed you out. You smiled and leaned up to kiss her cheek. She paused for a moment and stopped the two of you in the dining room, gripping your hand a little tighter.

“My dear,” she murmured, “tell me. Are you happy here?”

You blinked, startled. “Yes, of course.” Where had this come from?

She just smiled and brought you into a tight hug. Nothing else was said as the two of you stood in the middle of the room, holding each other. You buried your head in her neck like you did when you were a child, inhaling the familiar scent you always knew would be her.

“If you want to smoke, go outside,” you said, moving away. “The boys have it set up where no snow gets on the porch, and someone is working their magic that keeps it warmer out there for you.”

That put a light in her eyes. “Sounds good, baby. You gonna be okay?”

You let out a little chuckle, already looking around for a tall, spiky skeleton with a volume control problem. “I'll be fine. The others should be out there too, or will follow you.”

She nodded and the two of you parted. You went on the hunt, trying to see if you could locate Edge anywhere. He wasn't out back with Blueberry and Papyrus. You knew Black, Crooks, Tango and Justice were in the kitchen cleaning up. You hummed, frowning.

He wouldn't be outside; he doesn't smoke. He abhors the habit. There were many times you had witnessed him throwing Red's cigarettes out or breaking one he was currently smoking. You looked around the downstairs one more time before you gave up, heading to the second floor.

Instantly, you keyed yourself in on a familiar, toxic smell. You sniffed it out all the way to Edge's room. Your frown deepened as you raised your hand to knock. After your knuckles hit the door, there was a loud “FUCK” and a moment of silence before he called out.

“COME IN.”

You opened the door slowly, and you were assailed with the smell of a menthol cigarette. You glanced around, finding him sitting by his window, staring out into the backyard. You didn't mention anything, but you did see the butt of the cigarette sitting on the window sill beside him. You frowned and came further into the room, shutting the door behind you.

“Edge?”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” he snapped. “I WAS BUSY WITH SOMETHING.”

You opened your mouth before you snapped it shut again. Did you really want to call him out now? Probably not. So you pretended not to notice the half smoked cigarette in front of you as you came closer to him, fiddling with the ends of your sweater.

“I, uh, just wanted to say thank you,” you said softly. “For my gift this morning. You kinda ran off before I could thank you or anything.”

His gaze never wavered from you, even as he stood. You moved back a little to give him space, but his arms reached out capturing you close to him. His head dipped down, teeth grazing your lips. You clung to the front of his shirt, hands fisting in the soft fabric. Your little gasp was muffled before he pulled away.

“I Told You, Did I Not?” he murmured, eyelights flashing at you. “You Would Look Beautiful In A Collar.”

The taste of the menthol cigarette was on your lips as you tried to recall when he had said that. When it clicked that it was during your date with him, you flushed and tried to let out a choked reply, but nothing came forth. He only chuckled and gave you another chaste, fleeting kiss before he pulled away and nudged you toward the door of his room.

“Go Take Care Of Your Family And The Others,” he said. “I Will Return–”

“Are you nervous?”

The question slipped out from your mouth without you meaning to. But you couldn't tear your eyes away from the half smoked cigarette. He sighed, sitting back on the window sill and pulling out a lighter from his jeans pocket. As he relit the cigarette and let the smoke blow through his fangs out the now opened window, he glanced at you.

“Of Course I'm Nervous,” he muttered. “You're Letting Us Meet Your Family. Three People Who Are Of The Utmost Importance In Your Life And Upbringing.”

You smiled and went back over to him, taking his hand. His claws immediately closed, digging into your skin and leaving little indents. You stared at the way they did for a moment before you looked back up to him.

“There's no need to be nervous, and no need to hide the habit,” you said softly. “You don't need to smoke, promise. If I can quit, I'm sure you can, too. Specially if it's just your nerves getting to you.”

He just smiled and pressed his fangs to your forehead in a kiss before shooing you away. You rolled your eyes, but made your way from the room, making sure to shut the door and skipping back downstairs.

You thought things were going splendid.

–

Outside, your Mamaw was pinning each skeleton there with a stare that could curdle milk. None of them met her gaze, and Red had tapped at his phone for a few moments before he tucked it back into his jeans pocket. Hunter leaned against one of the podiums, teal smoke trailing lazily upwards. Mutt was at his feet, purple swirling around him. Yellow smoke trailed lazily around G's skull as he stared off into the drive. Orange and red smoke mingled together as Stretch and Red glanced at each other nervously.

This woman was no joke. She was spitfire, and they had figured that out the first time they met her at the Thanksgiving dinner with your family. What they hadn't realized was just how sharp she was, and how quick she could be to catching on.

The second this woman had come outside, she had pinned Red and Stretch with glares and demanded to know just how come everyone looks like each other. Red had instantly tried to play it off, the others outside even joining in, but she was quick to cut them all off and mention that she may be old, but she certainly wasn't blind.

So Red had texted Sans. What else was he supposed to do? This wasn't even his mess to begin with, and he wasn't about to catch the pure ire that would come from this woman. She would probably rip off his femur and beat him with it. With the way she was eyeing him now as smoke drifted from her painted lips, he was sure that was something she was truly about to do.

Sans finally popped into existence and, while looking sheepish, at least had the balls to look at your Mamaw in the eyes while she repeated her question.

“it's simple, really,” Sans finally said after a moment. “since we're all cousins, our... _parents_ were related.” That brought him some sour looks from some of the others. “a lot of our parents looked a lot alike, and some looked different. we tried asking questions, but they were always deflected, so we just kinda go with it.”

Your grandmother looked one hundred percent skeptical. Her eyes narrowed and pinned each one with a look before she took a long, considerable puff from her cigarette. Once she blew the smoke out, she stubbed it out on the ashtray nearby.

After another moment of silence, she regarded the boys around and sighed.

“Whatever is going on here, just make sure she's safe, and happy,” she finally said. “If I hear you – _any_ of you – have hurt her in some way, I will rip you apart one bone at a time and give them to my sister's dog.”

With that, she turned and went back inside all smiles. All the boys outside stared after her with wide sockets, their lights in the voids of their skulls nothing more than pinpricks. When everyone had managed to get themselves back together, they looked at each other.

“she's intense,” Mutt muttered.

“i like her,” Hunter chuckled.

“you would,” Stretch scoffed.

Sans seemed to sag, rubbing a hand over his sockets. Your Mamaw was smarter than he had given her credit for. He thought he had slid by easily during Thanksgiving, but he guessed there really had been more pressing matters at hand. Distracting you being one of them. And trying not to murder your brothers – or letting Red even attempt to try – was high on that list, too.

After everyone was done outside, they traveled back inside, heading for the living room where your voice was. You were sitting on Papyrus's lap, your hands waving in the air as your told them the story of the first time you met Papyrus.

And each boy in the room fell that much harder for you.

You were just finishing up when Blueberry crashed through the back door, his brother trailing behind him.

“Just how long is gonna go for?” your dad laughed. “He's more energetic that any of my kids ever were.”

“he should be slowing down to normal speeds soon,” Sin chuckled, watching as the ball of energy ninja flipped off the wall. “he'll be fine.”

Zapfino and Axe both scoffed, and Sans shook his head. You glanced at the others, and you already knew what was coming.

“I bet anything he won't wear down any time soon,” Zapfino said, crossing her arms. “If he's anything like my friend, then he's definitely gonna be wired for a few more hours. Probably even well into the night.”

Serif leaned forward. “doubtful. that's your friend. blue over there is a totally different person.”

While that was partially true, your family didn't need to know the whole truth.

Papyrus sighed behind you. “THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, HE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR AN ENTIRE DAY. I'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH MISS ZAPFINO.”

Crooks shook his head. “I'M SURE HE'LL BE FINE IN A LITTLE WHILE.”

“i don't know, bro,” Axe said, his single eyelight rolling around in his skull to watch Blue. “he don't look like he's gonna slow down anytime soon.”

“'m pretty sure he won't,” Mutt muttered.

Pup nodded while Shepard shook his head. The house was divided and you put your face in your hands. You heard chuckling and peeked through your fingers to see Justice and Karma snickering together as everyone made the bets with each other. Even G and Hunter were snickering in their little corner they took up.

You groaned and shook your head. This wasn't the time to deal with this. Not only were you going to have to coral the skeleton, you still had to get presents and stuff settled.

Everything with that went smoothly at least. You got your father an old book that completed a set he had, and your Mamaw a new cigarette case. Your Papaw – much to the amusement of you, Sans, Red, Serif and Stretch and to the horror of the others – got a new glass eye from you, which he cleaned on the spot before popping out his old one and putting in the new one.

“dude, that's fuckin' hardcore,” Karma wheezed through his laughter.

“I MUST ADMIT THAT'S...QUITE IMPRESSIVE,” Edge muttered, which Black nodded in agreement.

“Impressive? This Old Gentleman Pops His Eye From His Skull And All You Can Say Is Impressive?” Justice scoffed. “You Lack Vocabulary, Or You Lack A Scale Of What Is Truly Formidable.”

Edge bristled and you stood to try and defuse the situation. But Papyrus's arms kept you locked in place as you watched as Zapfino slide into your view.

“I actually have something for you, sweet pea,” she said softly. “I know you like magic, so I wanted to do this for you...”

You opened your mouth to ask before she brought both hands in front of her. The taste of magic was in the air as she held her hands about sternum level, looking like she was cupping something. Purple and teal magic coalesced into the center of her hands, just above her palms. You watched, transfixed, as the magic began to take form.

The colors mixed and swirled together, whipping into a form. Your eyes widened as the magic looked like it was _solidifying_. It moved and changed colors and seemed to have something small inside of it, but you didn't pay any mind as the magic slowly began to dissipate.

In its wake was the form of a flower. _Your favorite flower_. The light bounced off of it, casting multiple colors across the walls. You didn't see the way the others seemed to have dropped their jaws in shock, or were happily taking in your expression.

Unlike with the boys' magic, this was perfectly solid. She slowly took it, handing it off to you. You were almost too afraid to touch it, your hands moving over the cool surface. It was smooth under your fingers, and you practically feel the way Zapfino had put all of her adoration for you into this one thing.

“It's a solid form, and it won't fade,” she murmured as you took it. “Which means it'll be with you so long as you're careful with it. I wanted to show my appreciation for...everything you have done for my husband and I.”

“Don't you mean hus _bone_?” your Mamaw quipped without missing a beat.

That set off the groans of the younger brothers, and of Black. Blue had paused in his rapid bouncing around to come over and see the magic in your hands. His starry eyes were staring intently at it as his head tilted.

“IT LOOKS SO PRETTY, MISSUS ZAPFINO!” Blue said, the vibrating coming back full force.

Zapfino flushed her magic as your father stood, going to shake the hands of the skeletons around you. You glanced at him curiously; his features were pinched and he was forcing a smile on his face. You weren't the only one to notice this change; your Mamaw and Papaw sneered as the boys looked quite confused.

“Sorry to cut this short, but it seems my... _wife_ is having some issues at home.”

Eyelights of all colors shot to you, but you ignored them as Papyrus allowed you off his lap. You made your way over to your dad and gave him a hug, taking in his cologne one more time. He gave you a gentle kiss on the top of your head and moved away, allowing your Papaw to hug you close to him. All the while he hugged you, he was talking to Hunter about potentially going out in a month or two for some hunting.

When Mamaw gave you a hug, you missed the way she glared at the boys over your head and you just took in her scent for a moment. Stars, you were gonna miss her. Maybe you should visit her when everything settles here.

If things ever settled here.

Once your family left, you yawned, rubbing your eyes. You bid everyone else goodnight and made sure they would tell you which group won the bet. They all watched you go up the stairs, carefully holding that crystal in your hand as you ran your fingers over it some more.

You definitely missed the smug look Zapfino was giving all of them, despite their glares.

Once in your room, you decided you needed to take one more shower. After that, you threw your hair up in a messy ponytail and turned to your bed.

Only to scream and almost chuck a bobble head at G.

He was lying in your bed, already in his pajamas. He merely chuckled and sent you an easy grin, patting the space on your bed beside him. You rolled your eyes, but abidded, jumping on the bed and bouncing for a moment before crawling all the way up and flopping face first into the pillow.

“tired, angel?”

You nodded, turning over on your side to face him. “Little bit. Didn't realize Justice was going to give Blueberry coffee.”

He snickered. “made things interesting.”

You hummed, taking his hand and running your fingers over the circles in his palms. IT was quiet between the two of you for a moment before you sighed, glancing up into his yellow eyelights. He smiled down at you, leaning down slowly, keeping his light locked on your gaze.

He was asking his silent permission.

Permission which you granted by moving up a little, letting your eyes fall close. He breathed out, breath warm against your cheeks as one arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you against him. Your hands fisted in his sleep shirt, lips parting as his magic tingled against them.

He tasted like pineapples, too, you thought dazedly. His tongue swept through your mouth, as thought tasting you was the last thing he would ever get. Your legs wound together as his phalanges curled through your hair.

When he pulled back, he grinned down at you, chuckling.

“that good?”

“I don't think I got enough to tell,” you whispered back snarkily.

His chuckle filled the room before he kissed you again, your soft giggle and gasp swallowed by his roaming tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justice: You Know What Would Be Great Right About Now? _Chaos._  
>  Readz: Justice, no.  
> Karma: _justice, yes_


	38. Give Em A Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to put on a show!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...is something.
> 
> Thank the fucking stars for [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent). I sent this to her at like, 4:30 this morning and she got through it and I just...she's a mf work of art and I love her to fuckin' pieces, y'all. ;w;
> 
> This chapter is written a little differently than past ones, since this has major choreography and singing at the same time. So, please take note of that and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I really tried my best describing the dancing and stuff! ;n:
> 
> \--
> 
>  **Song in Chapter:** [Calling All The Monsters - China Anne McClain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpoVbmx1qYU)
> 
> \--
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Good Reads:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> [Our Place Among The Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546) by Nascent
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself (:
> 
> Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

The following days passed easily. Everyone had finally come down from their holiday highs and things were starting to get back to normal. New Year's had been a bit of a hassle, with the whole tradition of the New Year's kiss. But you had halted all arguments when you said you already had someone in mind, and you weren't going to start any arguments with anyone.

Now that the fiasco of the holidays was over, it was time to get back into routine. You had a meeting with Mettaton today at his new club, bar thing. You were meeting Morgan there, and you already knew the poor guy was probably sweating bullets from nerves.

You didn't blame him, you were a little nervous yourself. Since surfacing, Mettaton had made quite the name for himself. His cousin, Napstablook, was always right beside him. Despite the fact one was a robot and the other was a ghost, the two of them were close. You knew Napstablook was going to be the DJ for the new club; Mettaton had told you as much.

Papyrus was taking you, and you had readily agreed when he asked since you had barely been spending any time with him, either. It was hard trying to juggle so many of them. You, however, were going to make it up to them one way or the other.

You took a moment to admire the choker you were wearing. It was the one Edge had gotten for you for Christmas. You had been wearing it since the day after Christmas, letting the skull rest in the little divot between your collarbones. The bracelets you had received were also on your wrists, warming from your body heat.

You threw your hair up in a lazy bun before you turned and grabbed the stuff you needed before you made your way from the room and headed down for the first floor. Everyone was down there, even Hunter, who still had yet to leave from Christmas, claiming it was more entertaining over here than it was back at the resort.

You didn't mind it. You were happy you got to spend a little more time with him. You made your way into the living room, where Papyrus was nasal cavity deep in a book, eyelights roaming over the page he was reading. You rapped on the side of the archway, garnering the attention of everyone around you.

You didn't notice the way Edge's grin turned smug, and the way Red and Serif fist bumped each other in the middle of their game. But you did see the way Karma's sockets zeroed in on the choker. He didn't say anything, but he merely grinned, passing by you and tapping your cheek gently with a knuckle.

Okay then.

“ya headin' out, kitten?” Red asked, mashing the buttons on his controller.

You hummed, leaning on the frame as you spoke. “Yeah, Paps and I are gonna head out that way and meet Morgs there. He'll be home in like, an hour or two.”

The others were nodding along as Papyrus stood from his seat. You made a quick trip back up a flight of stairs to tell Sans you were leaving and you'd let him know how things went. When he gave you a smile and told you to behave, you rolled your eyes.

“Yes, because I'm totally gonna jump Morgan's bones, or even Mettaton's circuits,” you drawled out sarcastically.

What startled you wasn't Sans's chuckle, but Papyrus's deep hum next to your ear. You jumped a little and turned to see him staring down at you, white eyelights a little fuzzy around the edges. When you blinked they were back to normal. Maybe you had imagined it?

You didn't say anything else as you waved to Sans and followed Papyrus down the stairs again. You called one more goodbye before you put your coat and boots on – your new boots, of course – and tied the scarf around your neck like Blueberry and Tango had taught you. Once you were set, the two of you made your way out of the house and toward his car.

He hustled you inside and started it so it could warm up while he went and brushed all the snow off of it. You stuck your hands in the pocket of your coat and yawned, resisting the urge to rub your eyes while you waited.

Truthfully, you were a little nervous. You wondered what kind of performance this robot would want you to do. Stars forbid you do something risque; that would send most of your mates over the edge, platonic or not. You could have laughed at the image.

You knew Mettaton was flashy, though, so you were expecting something over the top at the very least. You smiled as Papyrus got inside, putting the scraper in the back of the car after knocking the last of the snow off of it.

Once everything was set and the two of you were buckled in, you were on your way. Papyrus turned the heat on before he even left the driveway. The warmth settled over you, and you sighed closing your eyes and leaning against the seat.

“Something Wrong, Dear?”

Hearing Papyrus use his inside voice was definitely weird, but you cracked open your eye a smidgen to glance at him. His attention was always on the road, but you could tell he was listening for your answer. Your smile was automatic as you opened both eyes all the way, looking out the window as the scenery rolled by.

“Nervous, I guess. I know you guys have talked about him a lot, but I haven't met him until that day at Muffet's.” You frowned. “I just don't want to fuck this up. This could help Morgan's career for his music.”

You saw Papyrus's nod in the window and turned to face him as he got on the highway.

“I Understand, Dear. But Really, Neither Of You Have Anything To Worry About,” the skeleton murmured. “You Both Are Extremely Talented, And I'm Sure Morgan Will Be Able To Let This Help His Talent, And Help Him Take Off In The Music Industry.”

“I just don't wanna mess it up, Papy,” you whispered. “I'm worried I might do something that could ruin everything for him.”

The two of you were quiet the rest of the way to the club. You just watched the scenery, your mind racing as you thought of any kind of possibility that could go wrong. It was like your brain was working against you. You tried to make the thoughts stop, but it was hard.

When he pulled up outside the club, you saw Morgan leaning against the building, smoking a cigarette. He sent the two of you a wave. But he stayed where he was as you tried to get out.

But you were drawn back to staring at Papyrus, who had gotten eerily close in such a short time. You let out a short squeak as his hand came up to cup your chin, making sure you couldn't look away as he leaned down.

“My Dear, You Could Never Do Something As Heinous As Messing Something Up For Someone,” he said softly. “Your Soul Is Too Pure For That. Get Those Nagging Thoughts From Your Mind, Dearest.”

You nodded, a little smile lifting one corner of your mouth. But when you tried to pull away, his grip tightened on you and you gave a startled yelp. He leaned in a little closer; you could feel his breath moving across your lips. Your mouth parted from instinct as you locked gazes with him once more.

“And If I Find Out You Really Did 'Jump' Morgan's Bones, Or Mettaton's Circuits,” he murmured, his voice amused, “I'll Make Sure To Punish You Properly.”

 _Mayday, mayday_ _ **m a y d a y**_ _!_ This wasn't the Papyrus you were used to! Where did the one you knew go and why did he get replaced with this version of himself? Was this a joke?

Your thoughts short circuited as teeth met lips. Your eyes shut, your hand reaching out and gripped his scarf he wore. He hummed, hand tangling in your hair as he tilted your head a little. You whimpered a little, grip tightening as something tingled against your bottom lip.

Tongues tangled together as he moved you back, pressing you against the seat and practically moving over his own seat to rest atop you. Your heart hammered in your ears as the scent of roasted chestnuts and oranges wrapped around you. Hell, he tasted of oranges. You couldn't get enough.

You whined as he pulled away, both of you breathing heavily as he pinned you with a stare that sent a shiver of want down your spine.

“I Suggest You Leave The Car Before I Change My Mind,” he murmured against your lips. “I'll Have One Of The Others Get You Tonight, Dearest.”

He pulled away, sitting back in his seat and buckling himself in as you grabbed your stuff and went to get out. You paused, taking a chance and leaning over once more, placing a soft kiss against his cheekbone. You didn't say anything else as you exited the car, closing the door behind you and rushing up to Morgan.

His grin was absolutely shit eating as he let out a plume of smoke from his mouth. “Things getting' spicy or what?”

“Fuck off,” you muttered, pushing him.

He laughed, stubbing out the cigarette and putting the butt in his pack. “Metta's waiting inside. Shall we?”

You nodded, his hand reaching out for yours. There was a squeeze for you before the two of you entered. You felt like you were going in front of a firing squad when you were just going to figure out something for the flashy robot.

When did your life get so interesting?

Mettaton was waiting at one of the tables closest to the stage. The whole building looked amazing. There was a giant stage, with a dance floor large enough to fit the entire living room in. There were a smattering of tables nearest the stage and lights were strung up above the dance floor. Had they been on, there would have been multiple colors strobing over the floor. There was a bar across the way and there were bunny monsters fumbling about, prepping things for the big opening day. There was a DJ booth above the dance floor, not far off away from the stage.

There was even a whole second floor, plush booths and tables seen from where you and Morgan stood admiring the work done in the building. It looked fantastic.

As the two of you went over to Mettaton, the robot looked up and grinned, standing and holding out his arms.

“Welcome, darlings~!” he said loudly. “I'm glad you were able to meet today!”

“As are we,” you chuckled, sliding into a chair. Morgan sat beside you as Mettaton sat back down. “Thanks for the opportunity.”

“Seconded,” Morgan said, still glancing around. “You have a whole set up here, honestly. Why would you want some two random people who play in a backwater band?”

Mettaton tutted at him. “Now, now. I feel like the two of you would be great additions! You have wonderful personalities and I can sense the kindness from your souls.”

The two of you only grinned.

There were pleasantries exchanged as food and drinks were brought out. You could smell the food before it even hit the table, your stomach grumbling as coffee was also placed in front of you. Morgan practically attacked the coffee pot as soon as it was put down.

You laughed and shook your head, cutting into one of the omelets on your plate. It smelled absolutely heavenly, and when you took a bite, you were practically a drooling mess. You sighed, continued to eat as the three of you spoke.

Finally, ideas for the club's big day came up. They were set to open in three weeks time, and he needed a plan.

“Obviously it needs to be amazing!” he said, waving his hand around. “Something to match my over-the-top self!”

Morgan snorted. “I don't think anything can surpass that,” he muttered.

Mettaton heard him, but only chuckled as the three of you pushed around ideas. Nothing to do with animals, nothing to do with crashing things through the walls and ceiling. Fire was a big no-go. The idea of a VMA style performance was appreciated by the robot, but not something he wanted to deal with.

Then an idea struck and you all but leaped from your chair, slamming your hands on the table and getting both of their attentions.

“I have something I think it perfect!” you said, eyes twinkling. “Metta, since you've been up here, have you ever watched the Disney channel?”

–

When you returned home via Pup, you excitedly gathered everyone in the room and told them your idea of what was happening. You were literally bouncing on your feet, and if you could have stars in your eyes, you would have in that moment. Even Black, Mutt, Axe and Crooks showed up. Zapfino and Fresh had been in the house to talk to Sans about something, and Hunter was still bopping around, chugging sweet and sour sauce like it was no one's business.

Karma and Justice had wandered in, taking their usual spot at their usual couch. You were still bouncing in place once you had finished speaking and everyone was looking at one another and nodding.

“sounds like a great idea, honey,” Stretch said, chewing on a toothpick. “i think it's crazy enough to work.”

“if ya need some help doing some dancing and stuff, i'm sure tango and i could help out no problems,” Serif said, looking up from the row of games in front of him.

You grinned, scurrying over to him. You took his hand and nearly ripped him off the floor, laughing as the two of you moved around the living room in random motions. You didn't miss the way each boy watched you dance, the way you moved around the dancing skeleton with ease. If anything, you most certainly caught the leers from Justice and Karma as your hips moved side to side.

Once you had finally gotten that energy from your system, your jelly legs couldn't hold you up anymore. You collapsed on the ground, laughing breathily as you glanced to the side where the majority of your boys were within your line of sight. Each of them, even the scary demons, were smiling gently at you.

You were certainly at your happiest moments, your soul singing to each of them in a way that made them want to dance with the sound of your very being.

You sat up slowly, chuckling when Shepard came over and curled up behind you, giving you something to lean back against. After collecting yourself and giving the giant skeleton's skull a few little pats – that earned you a loud, rumbling purr – you blew out a breath.

“That's, uh, actually what I need to talk to you guys about,” you said, your fingers picking at the invisible lint on your pants. “Metta, Morgs and I thought maybe you guys...could be...included?”

Your voice had risen. And when no one said anything, you rushed onward.

“Not all of you, or any of you, if you don't want to? We just thought with the name of the song, and the theme of it...maybe you would like to join. But of course, it's still all up to you, and I wouldn't want to feel like I'm forcing you into anything–”

“love.”

Karma's voice snapped ya from your rant. Your mouth shut with a clack of teeth. Your eyes shot over to him, blinking slowly as he stood from his spot to come over to you. He knelt in front of you, taking a strand of your hair between his phalanges and he brought it to his teeth, his eyelight trained on your face.

“it's okay, love,” he murmured, the endearment coming off a little less venomous than it sounded when they first showed up. “breathe and give them time to answer, yeah?”

You nodded, blowing out a breath through your nose and sighing. “Sorry. I guess I just am nervous. I'm really excited about this and...well, yeah.”

Your voice tapered off and Karma made a little cooing noise, dropping the strand of hair and petting your head once before leaning down and pressing his teeth to your forehead. Your face enflamed as he stood back up and sauntered lazily back over to his brother.

With his back turned to you, you didn't see the wink and grin he sent his brother, who only chuckled lowly.

Once everyone was settled again, you sighed, smiling around the gathered boys. They all smiled, smirked or grinned back at you. Shepard's tail had wrapped around one of your wrists, as though keeping you grounded and helping you thinking logically.

It was helping.

You took in a deep breath.

“So...if any of you could, you know, join us...?”

The room was quiet for a moment before Serif let out a low chuckle. “count me in, sweets. sounds like a blast.”

Tango was nodding along. “I WOULD BE HAPPY TO JOIN IN ON THIS! PLEASE LET METTATON KNOW I WILL GLADLY PARTICIPATE!”

Papyrus and Blue were nodding along. Your face flushed without your knowledge when you recalled what had happened in the car with the former, one of your hands touching your lips softly. Papyrus only smirked at you, causing a little shiver rolling down your spine. That resulted in Shepard's confused trill, which led you to petting the tail wrapped around your wrist.

Oh, boy.

Sans chuckled himself, leaning against the arm of the couch. “i'll tag along for it.”

Axe nodded. “i'll dance with ya, sparrow.”

Sin and Pink were grinning. “Oh This Does Sound Wonderful,” Pink murmured. “I'm Sure My Brother And I Would Love To Take The Stage With You.”

Sin only nodded along.

Stretch hummed. “sounds like fun.”

Hunter leaned against the back of the couch, where Zapfino and Fresh were sitting. You noticed he wasn't trying to avoid them or lean away from them, but you could definitely see the way Zapfino was tense with him behind her.

Poor skeleton.

“i'll give g a call,” Hunter said, tilting his head. “i'll bet he'd have fun with it. ya wouldn't know it, but he loves disney.”

You scoffed. “Really?”

He only nodded, winking. “i'll even let the resort know i'll have to leave for my bondmate. when is everything set to roll?”

“Ah...” You chuckled nervously, knowing their reaction. “Three weeks.”

You counted down in your head. _Three...two...one..._

“THREE WEEKS?!” Black scoffed, his back ramrod straight. “YOU MUST BE JOKING, PET!”

“She's not your pet,” Zapfino growled at him, glaring. “Keep that shit up, I dare you.”

“I WILL REFER TO _MY PET_ AS I SEE FIT–”

“Would You Morons Please Knock It Off,” Justice said, his sockets narrowed. “Let Love Speak.”

“I know it's short notice,” you said, “but Mettaton didn't give me a clear date until Morgan and I saw him today!”

“it's alright, sweets,” Serif said, coming to kneel in front of you. “we'll get everything set up. ya have the song on something we play in the studio?”

You nodded.

“then we can start practicing as soon as possible. hunter, ya wanna give g that call and double check he'll be alright with it?”

–

G was, in fact, happy to help.

That involved the next three weeks of grueling work. Between working for Muffet and stopping by the studio every free minute you had, you were wiped out. But, you were happy to see that even the lazier boys were actually trying and not just half assing everything.

Maybe because you told them if they didn't you would tear their humeri off and beat them with their own bones.

Regardless, you were happy when Muffet gave you fewer hours and an extra day off. She was excited to see that you were working as hard as you were, but you needed the break. Even if you didn't get the break as much as you had wanted.

Instead, you were spending a lot of time moving around the studio. Tango and Serif were, of course, leading the main dancing regime, with Mettaton coming over to watch and approve when he had a spare moment. The robot was ecstatic about the stuff he saw, and had wholly approved it over and over.

His enthusiasm was contagious.

Three days before the big day, you were practicing by yourself, Serif and Tango in the other room going over some extra stuff with Mettaton. You were so engrossed in the song you didn't hear the door open, nor the squeak of shoes as they came toward you.

“sparrow?”

You nearly jumped out of your skin, turning to look at Axe as he came in. There was a towel over his skull, his beanie in his hand as a stray drop of red sweat dripped down. You smiled at him, your chest heaving a little as you paused, your own shoes squeaking on the floor.

“Hey, sorry. I didn't hear ya come in,” you said, wiping your own forehead. “Everyone go home already?”

“nah, ballerina and his bro are waitin' for ya outside.” He glanced around, that single eyelight rolling in his skull before it landed back on you. “ya really are in your element here, aren't ya?”

You blinked at him, your head tilting a little as you smiled. “Yeah, I guess. I really do love how Serif has helped me learn more about dancing. Ballet is nice, but I do love the faster paced stuff.”

He chuckled, holding his hand out. You took it without hesitation. He twirled you into him, humming softly as he rocked the two of you back and forth. Your heart hammered in your chest, still, but now you knew it was for a whole different reason. You were staring up into his eyelight, smiling.

It was so peaceful.

You don't know who moved first, but there was a moment of hesitation before his teeth captured your lips in a kiss. Your hands gripped onto the shirt he was wearing. You felt your soul give a little thump in time with your racing heartbeat.

His hand tangled in your hair, tilting it just slightly. His tongue had formed, darting out to trace along your bottom lip. You opened with a sigh, letting the taste of iron take over your senses as the scent of cedar seemed to wrap around you.

When you finally pulled away from him, red magic dusted his zygomatic bones, his sockets lowered. You kept your focus on the working light, your hand coming up to caress the magic. He kept his permanent grin soft as he stared down at you, his hand removing itself from your hair.

You missed the contact already.

“ya got this, sparrow,” he murmured, leaning down again.

“Nah,” you said. “ _We_ got this.”

His kiss silenced you again. Your giggles were swallowed as he brought you closer against him. Your hand never left his cheek.

–

The day of the performance had arrived. The whole day had been crazy. You and the others had gone through everything one more time, even adding in the effects that you all had agreed on and Mettaton approved. You were nervous, like you always were before a show. You paced backstage, tugging your shirt back into place as you bit your thumb, worrying the skin there.

Muffet had made a whole new outfit for you. It was simple, but nice. A pair of jeans that had magic attached to help you not tire as easily, and to make sure the pants actually stayed up. A crop top that showed your midriff in as classy a way as it could, and had a red heart smack dab in the center of it, shimmering in the lights around you.

_“It matches the pure determination you have shown the rest of us,” she said as she helped you straighten it out. “It was the only thing I thought would fit you in this moment.”_

She was seriously an amazing woman.

“cutie?”

You spun on your heel, looking as Sin came up to you. He wore his purple vest still, the fur waving a little as he walked. His heels clacked almost silently against the wooden floor. He had on a black tank top and a pair of black skinny jeans, a belt wrapped around his pelvis. There was a cute heart belt buckle decorating it.

“Hey...”

“you're nervous.”

It wasn't a question, but you nodded anyway. Your hand touched the choker Edge had given you before playing with one of the earrings you had gotten from Tango. Sin only smiled at you, taking the other hand and bringing you in close. Your breath caught in your throat.

“it'll be alright, cutie,” he murmured. “just believe in yourself, and believe in us.”

“I do. I just...don't wanna mess up and make a fool of everyone.”

Sin hummed, moving a strand of hair from your face. Your entire face lit up as he leaned down, pressing a toothy kiss to the corner of your lips. He did the same to the other side, merely smiling down at you.

“you're gonna do great, cutie,” he said softly. “we've practiced this over and over; i'm sure you could do this in your sleep. We can do this.”

You nodded, taking in a shaking breath before you let it out slowly. He watched you, his hand playing with that strand of hair.

“need something to help distract you?”

You glanced up at him curiously before he swooped in, swallowing the gasp that left you. Your arms wrapped around his cervical vertebrae, the fur of his vest tickling your cheek. Your eyes closed as he hummed against you, his ribs rumbling in a soft purr. He tasted like chocolate, something sweet and rich against your mouth and searching tongue.

But it was the smell of the apricots that was slowly helping you ease whatever stage fright you had. You pulled away to take in a deep breath before he let out a little growl and captured your mouth once more.

The growl alone had made your knees quake. You were lucky there was one arm banded around your waist as he held you upright, his other hand on your cheek.

Once he was satisfied, he pulled away slowly. It took you a moment to bring yourself back from wherever you had been, but he merely smiled, booping you on the nose before he scampered off.

“Darling!”

You turned to see Mettaton, who was wearing a knowing grin. You glared at him playfully before you sucked in a breath.

“You're gonna want this. Do you know how to get it on and keep it there?” he asked, handing you a microphone earpiece. You nodded, accepting it before he handed you a piece of clear tape. Once everything there was set, you looked to the stage, where the curtains were closed. You looked back up at him.

“Darling, I can feel your nerves from out there,” he said softly, his robot voice glitching for a moment. “It'll be alright, you know. You're talented, and you've done so well. I haven't seen Sans this active...ever!”

“watch it, ya bucket of bolts,” Sans called as he made his way to the other side of the stage.

You laughed, covering your mouth.

“Knock em dead, sweetie.”

Mettaton scurried off himself, letting everyone know it was one minute until show time. You ran out onto the stage, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. You heard Mettaton walking out on stage. You looked to your left and right, seeing the eyelights of the others staring back at you.

You had never felt so nervous and excited before in your life.

“I now present to you, Y/n! Hit it, Blookie!”

You heard Mettaton retreat from the stage as the music cued in and the curtains began to pull away from each other.

 _Show time_.

_**“Callin' all the monsters, callin' all the monsters.”**_ The curtains had fully pulled back and your voice rang out clear and true. There was already applause and you couldn't help the silly smile as your hip dipped once before you moved to do the same to the other one, giving a little shimmy. _**“Callin' all the monsters, callin' all the monsters.”**_

 _ **“**_ _ **Oh yea aye.”**_ You looked to your left with a swift point, watching as Axe, Sans, Papyrus, Blue and Pink slowly made their way through, their eyelights lighting up and bleeding with magic. Axe now was crawling on all fours, each one taking calculated steps and moving into different positions, as though looking everywhere. _**“Oh yea aye.”**_ You did the same thing to right, watching Serif, Tango and Sin slinking their way across stage. Their own eyelight were bleeding their magic, crawling and moving toward you slowly. _**“Oh yea aye.”**_ You spread your legs apart in a small jump, pointing toward the ceiling as Stretch and G swung themselves around on a pole placed up at the top, looking around and glancing down at you. Their eyelights up magic billowing from their sockets.

You rushed forward right as they got toward the middle. _**“Heart thumps and you jump. Comin' down with goosebumps!”**_ Your hand was in front of your breast, as you popped out your chest before jumping a little. Your hands now on your hips you gave a little sway as you dropped down a couple of inches before springing back up, a surprised look on your face. _**“You dared to go there, I'ma, I'ma get you so scared!”**_ The boys popped out around you, claws and phalanges near your face as you gave another little noticeable shiver and twirled to the right, away from their grasps right as they moved down to grab you.

 _ **“We're wantin' to.”**_ Sans and Papyrus made a grab causing you to move forward again. _**“We're hauntin' you.”**_ Axe and G stepped beside you, grazing your arms as you stepped back again, grinning. _**“We're wantin' to.”**_ Stretch, Sin and Blue were pulling at the clothes on your body before you stepped away from them, gracefully sidestepping and heading toward Tango and Serif. _**“Eh eh.”**_

 _ **“You stayed in too late, to be getting afraid.”**_ You twirled between the two brothers, stopping in front of Pink, who had now gripped your arm. _**“This scene's extreme, I-I-I-I'ma get you so scared!”**_ You pulled yourself free as you danced away from him, smiling and pausing at the edge of stage again.

You caught sight of the rest of your boys, who were all watching with rapt attention. You gave them a little wink as you kept going.

 _ **“We're wantin' to.”**_ Sans and Papyrus were now on your left, gripping your arm. _**“We're hauntin' you.”**_ Axe and G were on your right, holding that arm in place. _**“We're wantin' to.”**_ Stretch, Blue and Sin were now by your right leg, gripping it. _**“Eh eh.”**_ Serif, Tango and Pink were gripping the left leg, as thought trying to hold you in place.

 _ **“Gonna get your body shakin', wishin' you could just awaken.”**_ You felt them move as you took a few steps back, the six at your legs slowly, moving and getting up to take their places behind you as your grin turned devious.

 _ **“Here we go.”**_ The four at your arms threw themselves away and took their places, all of you jumping and landing with feet apart.

 _ **“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ Your voice rang out, as you took a step and gave a little hip thrust and step back, doing the same on the opposite foot. You made silly little claws as you grinned, moving forward and stomping your foot three times as the others behind followed your movements, moving the opposite way from you. _**“Tonight, all the monsters gonna dance! We're comin' to getcha!”**_ You did the same thing, this time starting with your opposite foot to step out, turning to your left and twisting your whole body to face that way before you turned back, giving another little step out.

 _ **“If you're only dreaming, why I hear you screaming?”**_ You turned back to face the crowd, your hands coming up to your head as you gave a little shake of your head. The boys had crept closer again, running their hands over your arms and back and legs as though they were merely grazing by you. You cupped your hand by your hands, pausing and moving your upper half in a quick circle as you looked like you were screaming toward the ceiling. _**“Tonight, all the monsters gonna dance! We're comin' to getcha, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ You snapped your arms down, jumping from side to side, careful to not come down with all your weight. Once that was done, you did a backflip away from the others with the help of G and Axe, Stretch helping you through it midair.

 _ **“Callin' all the monsters, callin' all the monsters.”**_ Once your feet hit, you were back at it, taking small, halted steps backwards, using your pointer finger to crook at your bondmates. Sans, Axe, Papyrus, Blue, and Pink made their way toward you like they had before, slowly, crawling, spinning around, grins on their faces as they crept to you. _ **“Callin' all the, callin' all the, callin' all the monsters.”**_ Once those five were close enough, you moved to the others, using that pointer finger to crook at the others as well. On cue, Sin, Serif, Tango, G and Stretch started to creep and crawl toward you, their steps slow, halted and calculated.

 _ **“You hide or you try, kiss tomorrow goodbye!”**_ You stopped them all with your hands up, palms out, scurrying forward and moving your hands in front of your face as one of your boys, Serif, snagged your arm and twirled you into him. You grinned up at him as he winked, indigo magic flickering from his socket as he twirled you, spinning you out as you blew a kiss toward the crowd – or more specifically, all your bondmates watching. You gave a little wave before you turned and started moving again. _**“We thrill to your chill, b-b-b-buckin' for a freak out!”**_ You stopped and turned to face the crowd, giving a little jazz hands before hugging yourself, shimmying your hips as you moved side to side, dropping down and knees pointed in the direction you needed them to before you moved up, jumping up and landing with a solid, but semi quiet thump, covering your mouth that held the classic “o” face with both hands crossed.

 _ **“We're wantin' to.”**_ Sans and Papyrus both took a hand giving it a peck before moving your forward. _**“We're hauntin' you.”**_ Stretch and Blue came up to peck your cheeks, and Serif and Tango took your hands to kiss. _**“We're wantin' to.”**_ G and Axe grazed your sides and you had to bite back a squeak as usual, letting them lift your hands to their teeth. _**“Eh, eh.”**_ Sin and Pink came by to take their place, spinning into you and grazing your fingertips with theirs as they moved back and to the sides smoothly.

 _ **“We might just bite underneath the moonlight.”**_ Axe and G rushed forward as you took a bite from the air, their bites timing perfectly with yours. You heard the clacking of teeth as the others followed suit to cause an echo effect. _**“More fun if you run, I-I-I-I'm already chasin'!”**_ You twirled around as Axe you practically leaped across the stage, giving a short mini run and the other scrambled after you, as though chasing their prey. _Mutt would have been prefect for this._ You stopped as G appeared in front of you, grinning as yellow eyelights shone directly in your face.

 _ **“We're wantin' to.”**_ You took a step back as G stepped forward, the others moving forward with him to cage you in. _**“We're hauntin' you.”**_ They all reached out for you, snagging some part of you – that was appropriate at least. _**“We're wantin' to.”**_ They slowly started to drag you back to the center of the stage as you grinned at the ceiling. _**“Eh, eh.”**_ You were effectively lifted by Papyrus and Stretch as they dropped you back on the center of the stage.

 _ **“Gonna get your body shakin', wishin' you could just awaken.”**_ Your shimmied your upper body the second your feet touched the wood. You bent forward and then threw you head back, stepping back as you sang and throwing your arms out, holding your head before throwing them to your sides like an explosion as yellow and orange magic followed your movements.

 _ **“Here we go!”**_ Your arms fell to their sides as you took in a quick breath.

 _ **“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ Arms out as you jumped side to side, conscious enough to keep your feet from thudding too hard against the stage. The others followed suit, the tall boys moving to the back in the space between your smaller boys. _**“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ You let your arms drop to your sides as the jumping stopped and you twisted your body, giving a little body roll, ending it on sticking your foot out. The boys had slowly begun to converge on your form.

 _ **“If you're only dreaming, why I hear you screaming?”**_ You twisted to face the crowd, hands to your head again as you shook it side to side and bending a little at the waist. You brought yourself up, hands cupping your mouth as you pretended to scream at the crowd as your voice rang. The boys had now let their eyelights blink out on respective sides, and their magic pressing down as you danced around them avoiding their touches as best as you could. _**“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha!, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ They snagged you, lifting you slowly. Tango took hold of your waist before he set you on his shoulders fluidly. His hands let go of your ankles and you fell back, caught by Axe and Sans's magic and set back on your feet right as Tango swiveled out of the way.

 _ **“Callin' all the monsters, callin' all the monsters.”**_ You moved back as they all converged, this time not waiting for the crook of a finger. They advanced, magic sparking their eyes and lighting the room around you in their magic sparks and glow. _**“Callin' all the, callin' all the, callin' all the monsters.”**_ They finally got to you, reaching for you and ten pairs of hands ran over your body, causing you to shiver as you were slowly lifted into the air. Blue magic took over the work as the music grew quiet.

 _ **“Gonna paint it red, get inside your head, head, head.”**_ The room's lights faded, but Axe's magic did it's job. His eyelight expanded in its socket as they all turned for the audience, red light filling the large space as he crept forward, as though looking for his next victim. The other nine were doing the same thing, slowly creeping along, taking a step and facing a different direction each step they took. Your hand came up, your head moving left, then right, then right at the crowd. _**“Like a demon choir, playing fire, fire, fire.”**_ Your voice was merely a whisper, growing in volume as you were lowered, your dancing heels hitting the ground with the lightest thump as you crept forward, watching as they all crept forward. With the aid of G, Papyrus and Tango, the light in the room, the stage, became light up with more magic, the glow that of a fire growing in intensity. You glanced at the crowd as you quickly ran up, stopping just in front of the stage.

 _ **“gonna get your body shakin', wishin' you could just awaken.”**_ It wasn't your voice this time, but it was Serif's, his voice deep and low as he sang the lyrics loud enough to project through the club. Your hips shimmied again, this time a little more seduction put into it, as you crooked your finger your boys in the front and the wink you sent them was just for fun. You moved back into your boys who had surrounded you.

 _ **“Tonight all the monsters gonna da~ance, we're comin' getcha!”**_ You held the long note, your hand on your chest as you twisted your body, moving around as your boys converged and then moved away. You pointed them at the crowd as their magic then erupted, sparkles and rain of rainbow magic flitting around the crowd and moving to dance along the tables and people and monsters gathered. Blue, Papyrus, G and Tango were now among the crowd, moving and dancing around the patrons. _**“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha!”**_ You moved back, letting Stretch grab your waist and hoist you up until you were sitting on his shoulders, pointing at the ceiling this time. More magic of orange and cyan blue filled the air above you, raining down on your grinning face and giving you tingling kisses as you pointed again at the crowd, Stretch dropping you on your feet as you ran to stand next to Sans and Axe.

 _ **“If you're only dreaming, why I hear you screaming?”**_ Your head was gripped in Sans's hands now, and Axe had taken yours as you shook your head somewhat violently, but not enough to send you stumbling as you lifted your head to make it look like you were screaming toward the ceiling again. More sparks of red and blue magic rained down. _**“Tonight all the monsters gonna dance, we're comin' to getcha! We're comin' to getcha!”**_ You broke from their hold to run to Sin and Pink to snagged your hands and Serif appeared behind you to grab your waist, pulling you back, bringing you in close before spinning you away, using his magic to stop you in the direct middle. A shower of indigo, pink and lavender magic shimmered around you and the stage and crowd once more.

 _ **“Oh yea aye.”**_ The four in the crowd appeared around you, Blue and Tango by your feet, Papyrus and G next to your shoulders. _**“Oh yea aye.”**_ Sans, Axe and Sin took a place on your left side, chuckling lowly. _**“Oh yea aye.”**_ Serif, Pink and Stretch appeared your right, grinning at you.

_**“We're comin' to getcha.”** _

The final line was hit with a loud stomp, your hand pointing at the crowd as their magic gave one last burst of their colors, fire appearing in the back area where there were safe areas for it to reside. The rainbow of colors was the last thing the crowd saw before the curtain closed and the entire establishment went wild.

It was a full thirty seconds before your arm dropped and you collapsed on the stage, laughing as you were cooed at by your mates around you. You took the microphone off of your ear, careful to give it to one of the boys before you flopped over on your stomach. Your entire body was coated in sweat, and your feet were giving that tell tale ache that said you weren't gonna be able to walk without it hurting tomorrow. But that was okay with you. You were fine with that.

That was the absolute best thing you had done in so long.

“That was amazing!” you said, your voice catching. “Holy crap, you guys did wonderful! I'm so proud of you!”

Their magics lit up their faces, causing you to laugh more. You weren't sure what you were going to do now, but you knew that you didn't care. You had done it. You had successfully helped Mettaton open his club, and it sounded like it was about to be the most popular place for a long time.

You couldn't wait to do this again.

–

Mettaton had let you use one of the VIP rooms upstairs to shower, making sure you had an outfit waiting for you when you got out. You were tying your still-wet hair up in a messy bun as you made your way downstairs, smiling and waving at people and monsters alike as they called out to you.

When you finally made it to the tables with all your boys, you nearly collapsed in the open chair beside Zapfino. She wrapped an arm around you and brought you close to her, careful of her gash so it didn't catch on your hair.

“You did wonderful, sweet pea!” she said enthusiastically. “I'm so proud!”

“Thanks,” you murmured quietly, smiling.

You were tugged from her hold gently, looking over to see Justice grinning at you from behind his mask. You could see the hint of the purple thread that you always saw on Karma. He leaned in close, his voice light and teasing.

“I Would Love To See You Move Like That For Me, Love,” he said, his voice sending chills up your spine. “Maybe In A More Private Setting.”

Christ on a fucking pogo stick, these boys were going to murder you.

You waved him off, taking your arm back and chuckling. The din around you was loud but even with everyone talking and drinking and being excited and full of adrenaline, you were slowly falling asleep.

You were jolted awake as Pink picked you up, shushing you as he let the others know he was taking you home. After wishing the others goodbye, he packed you up in his car and off the two of you went. You had passed out once more before you even hit the highway.

He shook you awake gently once more. He watched as your bleary eyes blinked through the fog in your brain, trying to to connect the dots. He hadn't taken you home, but he had brought you to his and his brother's home. You didn't comment, only unbuckling yourself as he got out of the car. Once he made his way over to your side, you yawned, rubbing your eyes.

“You're Alright, Candy,” he murmured. “It's Just Me. Let's Get You Settled In For The Night, Alright?”

“Okay, Paps...” you yawned.

He only smiled down at you as he picked you up bridal style, carrying you inside the house after making sure his car was locked and unlocking the front door. He navigated through the dark easily, making sure to avoid the dim kitchen light the two left on.

He stared down at your snoozing form as he climbed the stairs. Your lashes fluttered against your cheek and there was a stray strand of still damp hair falling against his ulna. He could only keep his smile as he moved to open his bedroom door. You sighed a little as he placed you on the bed.

When he went to move away, your arm shot out, your grip on his phalanges weak as he turned to look down at you. Your eyes were open, but still very tired as you pouted up at him.

“Stay with me...”

He only sighed, chuckling as he nodded, moving away. Once he had changed and made sure the house was locked up until his brother got home, he climbed into the bed beside you, the smell of hazelnuts and peaches making a shiver crawl up his spine. You turned and curled up into him, nuzzling against his sternum as you sighed out a contented breath.

He smiled down at you, lifting your chin and giving your mouth a slow kiss. You reciprocated, you tongue darting against his teeth teasingly. He kept the kiss slow and easy as his magic sparked against your lips. You let out a little whine, and he took that chance to deepen the kiss, capturing that cute little sound.

Tongues danced lazily and you sighed against him. He pulled away, hand coming up to brush the bangs from your eyes and you smiled up at him. Your lips were a little swollen and you murmured his name – his actual name – before your eyes drifted shut, your body huddled close to his.

Stars, he would do anything for you. There was a part of him that was anxious of getting close to you, just like he knew some of the others were. But when you looked at him like he was the best thing in the world, spoke his actual name on such a soft whisper...

He knew he was lost to you.

And really, he couldn't ask for anything more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readz: _*makes a silly comment*_  
>  Papyrus: _*grabbing his belt*_ I Don't Think So.


	39. What the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take a much needed vacation with your human boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to come out. The words didn't want to work with me and the characters were being assholes. xD I have also been getting back into WoW since quarantine has left me restless on the days I don't have to work. It has been a stressful couple of weeks, so I hope the longer chapter makes up for it. ^^;;
> 
> Honestly, tho. This chapter came out to 20 pages on my word document. xD Nascent is a fuckin' blessing, man. T.T
> 
> With that, I hope you enjoy the chapter! <3
> 
> Song in Chapter: Kiss From A Rose - Seal
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Good Reads:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime on My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> [Our Place Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546) by Nascent
> 
> Collab Work:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself. (:
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)
> 
> Hope to see ya there! ^^;;

After the next week passed, you were bored. School was starting back up on the following Monday and you wanted to do something. But what was there to really do? Snow had been steadily accumulating, and you were growing tired of it. You never did like the cold that accompanied the snow, so you were usually inside, or visiting one of the duos in their cabins.

You were hanging out with Axe and Crooks when you got the call.

“...the beach?”

You spoke slow as Guy laughed, his baritone causing little shivers to race up your spine. Axe tilted his head, brow bones furrowing a little as he listened in on your half of the conversation. Crooks had come in from the kitchen when he heard you speak.

“yeah, the beach,” Guy reiterated. “the boys and i stay here during the colder months and it's been getting a little stale. plus, we haven't really had the chance to see ya, and we wanna be able to get to know ya a little bit.”

You felt like there was something unspoken there, but you didn't say anything about it. Instead, you threw your legs over Axe's femurs. His claws immediately went to rub at your legs, rubbing out the sore spots you'd gotten while running around Muffet's shop. Despite the cold, there had been plenty of winter weddings coming up. The spider monster was in high demand, which often left you alone on the floor.

And you loved it.

You bit back the groan as you heard the phone on the other end scuff a little before a new voice replaced it.

“Fairy! Please Tell Me You'll Come To See Us!” Tiny's voice came through the speaker now, causing you to chuckle a little. “It's Been So Long, And Hunter Said You Were Getting Bored!”

You rolled your eyes. After Hunter had shown up for your performance, he had gone to see the human variants before heading back to the resort. Of course he'd open his stupid teeth. You decided to text him later before you went to bed.

“I don't know, Tiny,” you said, humming. “I took a lot of time off work already, and school starts back up soon.”

Another voice came through, equally excited, “But Sweetie! We Would Love To See You!”

You chuckled at Paps's voice. “I wouldn't be able to stay very long–”

Another voice. “sweetheart, humor us here, would'ja?” Buddy said, laughing. “'t wouldn't be fer long. just enough to appease chief and these two chuckleheads.”

“Hey!”

You snorted at Tiny's offended voice.

“The Weekend,” came Chief's voice next. “Just The Weekend. I Know Edge Made A Comment To Me The Other Day You Go Back On Monday.”

You nodded, though they couldn't see you. “Yeah. I don't have too many classes this semester, but enough to fill my schedule.”

Now it was Rus's turn. “come visit us before you're dragged back into that hell. don't make me have to use tiny against you.”

You scoffed. “You wouldn't.”

There was a grouping of chuckles before Tiny came back on the line. His voice had grown sad, and you could practically hear the pouty lip he was pulling.

“Please, Fairy...? We Miss You...”

_Oh for fuck's sake, that's not fair!_

You groaned, your head bending back at the neck over the arm of the couch. You could hear Axe snickering and Crooks chuckling around you, but you merely flipped them off. Axe's claws dug in a little, but otherwise didn't react. You huffed, sighing.

“Fine. But only for the weekend!” you said quickly before they started cheering.

“great, berry,” Guy said, coming back on the phone. “then we'll see ya in a few hours.”

You sputtered, but didn't get anything out before he hung up. You groaned, lifting your head and throwing your legs over the side of the couch. Axe and Crooks both seemed fully amused and you grunted at them, shooting them glares before you excused yourself. You gave each of them a hug – with Axe stealing a quick kiss – before you made your way from the house.

Your feet crunched through the snow, your hands buried deep in the pockets of your jacket. You watched your breath fogging up in front of you, the snow giving way under your feet anytime you took a step. Your mind was going a hundred miles a minute.

You were going to see your human boys. Weirdly enough, you texted them often, or talked to them on the phone here and there, but you hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving (excluding pictures and videos). You did miss them, but you couldn't help but feel as though they had been keeping away from you.

The thought had stung more than once, and it didn't change this time when you were reminded of the feeling. It was like they were trying to avoid you? Even during the times you had seen them, you had been kept at arm's length.

You made it back to the house, waving to Stretch and Red who were outside smoking. Once you got back inside, you were heading right for Sans, who was in a video call with G. The two of them were hashing out numbers and calculations they needed for the machine. You gave a gentle rap against the door jamb with your knuckle. Sans looked up, his strained smile softening as he turned the tablet towards you. G's face greeted you, his frustrated expression melting.

“hey, angel,” his voice came through the tablet. “ya alright?”

You nodded. “Uh, yeah. Just letting you know that I'm apparently going to be seeing the guys at the beach house.”

Sans chuckled and G's expression lit up.

“well, when were you planning on going?” Sans asked, leaning an elbow on his desk. His jaw was propped in his open palm. “you start school in a couple of days.”

You rubbed a palm across your forehead. “Yeah, they want me to be there in a couple of hours.”

Right on cue, you heard someone open a door over on G's end. He turned from the camera as Buddy came into view, leaning on the door as he jerked a thumb behind him.

“can ya go get sweetheart? we're havin' her here fer a coupl'a days.”

G merely pointed to the camera. Buddy looked up, his gaze catching yours. You smiled, waving a little. Buddy's grin tilted more on one side before he shot you finger guns and looked back to G, who was nodding.

“yeah, i can grab her.”

“sweet. see ya soon, sweetheart!” Buddy called before he left the room G was in, shutting the door.

“I'll go start getting my stuff ready,” you chuckled, giving a little half hearted wave.

The two of them nodded before they went back to their calculations. You made your way to your room, rummaging around in your drawers and closet for things you would need. You made sure to duck into your bathroom to grab your toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner. You left your toothpaste, since you knew they would have some there.

Once you went back to your room, you yelped, automatically throwing your toothbrush at G's prone form. He caught it with his magic, encasing it in a yellow glow. You were sighing as he brought it down and stuffed it in the bag you were packing up, raising a bone brow at you.

“Do any of you know how to knock? I think in the time I've spent here, only Fresh has knocked. Zapfino has a clear passage to enter since she's a girl,” you muttered, stuffing your stuff into the bag.

G chuckled as you marched back over to your dresser, rummaging around and pulling out your bathing suit. “sorry, angel.”

“Yeah, you sound so sorry,” you drawled, letting the sarcasm seep into the words.

He laughed again. The two of you talked as you packed. You made sure to grab some pajamas and extra clothes. You had your brush and phone charger. You didn't need your laptop so you left that on your desk, along with all your other school stuff.

Once you were packed up, you grabbed your stuff that you kept on your person and you and G made your way down to the first floor. Everyone had gathered, for the most part. Justice and Karma were talking about something, looking at a brochure of something in their hands. You gave them a smile when they looked up. It was Shepard's confused whine that brought everyone else's attention to you. They all seemed confused by the bag in G's hand.

“where ya goin'?” Pup asked, stalking his way into the room.

“The guys at the beach house wanna hang out for a little bit,” you said, running a hand over his skull. His purr answered you. “I'll be gone for the weekend.”

“THE WEEKEND?” Edge asked, coming in from the dining room. “WHY WOULD YOU STAY THERE THE WEEKEND?”

“Uh, because they asked?”

Zapfino spoke up, “Has she even spent a night away from here?”

The others stayed silent as she, Fresh, Pup, Shepard, Karma and Justice all glanced around. It was Stretch who answered, pulling his lollipop from between his teeth.

“once. while we were in heat.”

“Okay, so it was needed then,” she murmured.

“THERE WAS ALSO THE TIME SHE WENT TO STAY WITH HER FRIEND MORGAN,” Blackberry said. “AFTER SANS DROPPED THE BOMB ABOUT THE BONDS SHE SHARED WITH US ALL.”

“any other time, broskis?” Fresh asked.

“No, just those times,” you said, your fingers trailing lazily over Pup's skull.

“it's not like we force her to stay here,” Axe said, his eyelight shifting to Zapfino. “she can go anywhere she wants, stay wherever she wants. so long as we know she's safe.”

“THINGS HAVE JUST BEEN A LITTLE CRAZY LATELY,” Papyrus said, Blueberry nodding next to him. “SO NO ONE HAS REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING HER TO GO OUT.”

“if she wants t' leave, no one's gonna stop 'er,” Mutt agreed.

You smiled at them all. Zapfino sighed, standing up and coming over to you. She wrapped her arms around you and squeezed you to her.

“Ah, sweet pea. It's going to be so loud without you here,” she whined playfully. You laughed, giving her a quick hug back before she pulled away.

“It'll be fine. Don't worry.”

Zapfino gave you another smile. “Whatever ya say, sweet pea.”

“ya better bounce before th' others try and keep ya at the crib,” Fresh said, glancing around.

“I am. I'll see you guys Sunday night, okay?”

With that, G led you from the house, letting the door close quietly. You turned to G, who gathered you close to him and leaned down to press a little skeleton kiss to your mouth. You giggled as he moved away.

“let's get'cha to the others, hm?” he murmured.

You buried your face into his tank top, closing your eyes and gripping his jacket with your hands. He nuzzled the top of your head as your feet left the ground, leaving you weightless for a mere second. Once your feet landed, you were nearly thrown from the temperature change rather than the disorientation that usually followed a shortcut.

You pulled away and you instantly sighed as the warmth covered your cold skin. You glanced around, squinting. The house the boys were staying in was more of a lodge rather than a house. It was like a giant log cabin!

You took G's hand in yours before racing to the door and throwing it open. There was a clamor and the sound of something heavy dropping. It was followed by a loud growl and racing footsteps.

All you saw was white hair as you were tackled. You yelped as you fell to the ground after letting go of G's hand from surprise. Your back was bowed as you landed on your bag and you were thanking the stars above that you had hadn't packed all of your more important stuff and just stuck to clothes and toiletries. So at least you had a cushioned fall, right?

After gathering yourself enough, you looked down to see the big, bright cyan blue eyes of Tiny. His white hair was matted against his forehead and his lips were pulled back in a grin. You found it only a little weird after being around so many skeletons.

“You Made It, Fairy!” he crowed excitedly. “I'm So Happy You Agreed!”

_Only because you cheated and gave me the poutiest face I have ever heard in my entire fucking existence. And that isn't fair._

“Ah, I could use the break,” you chuckled a little. “Unwind a little before I have to go back to classes.”

“there ya are.”

You groaned with a loud “oof!” as another weight was added on top of you. You heard Tiny give out a cry and start moving his arm as he was hitting something. You looked over to see Rus had fallen lazily on his brother. He gave a little wave and a yawn.

“Can you guys get up now?” you wheezed out. “Christ.”

They pulled themselves from ya, Rus bending down to grab your hand and haul you back up. Once on your feet, you took the backpack from your shoulders, groaning and trying to stretch out your back a little more.

“I See You've Finally Arrived.”

You looked around Rus to see Chief coming down the stairs, huffing a little. You moved around Rus to rush Chief, throwing your arms around him and hugging him tight. He seemed taken aback, but his arms slowly came around, if a little stiffly.

You tried not to let that bother you too much.

You pulled away, looking up at him with a grin before moving off and heading back toward one of the couches.

It was a quaint little space. The front door led into the a living room that had a couple of rugs strewn about, and a doorway leading into the kitchen. There was a set of stairs directly in front of the door. There was a TV set up with a couple of game consoles, along with rows of movies and games on a bookshelf. There was another bookshelf with books right beside it.

“'ey, there she is.”

You laughed as Guy came around the corner of the kitchen, a bottle of pop in his hands. You gave him a hug, though his reaction was much the same as Chief's. You couldn't help but feel like they were really trying for something, but you didn't know what. You felt your soul give an uncomfortable tug in your chest, but you ignored it.

“see ya finally appeared, sweetheart,” said Buddy as he came out behind Guy.

You chuckled.

Chief shook his head and turned, glancing over his shoulder at you. “Come Along. Your Room Is Set Up.”

You nodded, gripping the strap of your bag a little tighter as you followed him up the stairs. There was some talking behind you, and you caught some snippets of conversations, but you didn't pay it any mind as you made your way behind Chief.

Once at the stairs, you were shown into a room that was a bit smaller than your own at the house. There was a huge bed made up with some quilts and soft looking sheets. There was a dresser and a closet waiting for you along with a vanity table.

“There Isn't An En Suite Here, So You'll Have To Share With The Rest Of Us,” Chief muttered, sounding stiff. “Other Than Not Going Into Our Rooms, You Have Free Reign Of The House.”

You frowned and opened your mouth to ask what had changed? They had been so nice and touchy and caring during Thanksgiving, but now they were acting like they were trying to distance themselves. You could tell they still cared, but something about their demeanor was cold towards you.

You didn't want to think about it.

Instead, you grinned up at Chief. “Thanks.”

His face was dusted in a blush as he cleared his throat. He merely nodded, giving you a smile himself before he turned and walked away. He shut the door behind him and you sank onto the bed. It was soft, the sheets smooth under your fingertips. You finally set the bag on the bed beside you.

You flopped backwards, bouncing a little. You let out a small sigh, turning your head to face the ceiling.

You tried to think of why they were acting like this. Did you do something wrong? Were they mad you didn't come to see them more often? Granted, you had tried here and there...but it only led to them saying they would see you soon enough. You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment to combat the sting of tears before you opened them again.

You could do this. You were sure of it.

There was a knock at the door and you sat up, calling, “Come in!”

The door opened and you watched as Paps entered, grinning ear to ear. You smiled a little, getting up to give him a hug. He wasn't as stiff or cautious as Guy or Chief, but there was still some hesitance in his movements. You tried thinking if there was something you had done, but you didn't think you did anything other than stop texting them randomly when you fell asleep at night.

“Would You Like To Head To The Beach?” he asked softly. “It's Plenty Warm Out, And I'm Sure The Others Could Use The Break.”

You couldn't help the smile that graced your face. “Of course. I did come here to hang out and do stuff with all of you.”

Paps beamed at you, teeth almost as white as the bones of the skeletons. You noticed he wasn't wearing his gloves as he reached for the door handle and started pulling the door closed.

“I'll Leave You To Get Ready!” he said. “We'll Be Waiting Downstairs.”

The door shut with an almost silent click. After a moment, you blew out a breath through your nose. You were just overthinking everything. They were just nervous to have you to themselves. Or, well, for the most part.

You stood from the bed, grabbing your bag and digging through your stuff. You managed to find your bathing suit, humming as you pulled it from the depths of your bag and set it off to the side. You grabbed the little see through skirt you had to go with it.

Once you were changed, you were grabbing your phone before heading out the door. You smiled, making your way down the stairs. You noticed they had been talking quietly when you made it down the stairs, but immediately shut up when they realized it was you.

Their eyes of varying colors shot to you. You gave a shy little wave. Maybe a two piece wasn't the best idea? You had put on some weight since living with the skeletons. The louder bunch wouldn't let you go without at least two meals a day, three if they were in one of their moods. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea–

“goddamn, berry. you look amazing.”

There were murmured agreements around as your face heated up. You were as red as Buddy's hair as he came closer, taking a strand of your hair in his fingers, letting it slip through them.

“stunnin', sweetheart,” he murmured, ruby eyes flashing at you. “really. we c'n feel yer insecurities a mile away.”

You chuckled weakly, rubbing a hand on your neck. You glanced up through your lashes to each of them. Chief, Guy, Rus and G all looked ready to pounce on you, but seemed to be able to hold themselves back.

Oh boy.

You made your way from the lodge with the boys. Chief tucked you under his arm as Rus grabbed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. You noticed they weren't as stiff as they had been a while ago. Maybe you really had been imagining it.

It was weird having some skin on skin contact. You glanced around as the boys joked and shoved each other. They seemed a little more easy going than the boys you lived with – excluding the ones who had recently come through. You weren't sure how you were supposed to fit in with all this; you truly felt out of your element here.

The sight of the water as you made it to the beach was a welcome one from the horrors of the snow. You smiled as Rus tugged you along, Chief growling at him to be patient. You paused, kicking your sandals off and bending over to pick them. Cyan magic picked them up before you could even start bending, however. When you looked up, Tiny had magic wavering in his hand, his grin at you mischievous. He snagged them with his other hand as he turned on his heel, marching off to catch up with the others.

Huh. Guess they could use magic just fine. You didn't remember everything from their files, but you knew there hadn't been much. Maybe you could actually use this time to get answers to the questions you had. They always avoided your questions through text or over the phone and it was growing increasingly frustrating, so maybe you could corner them here?

The sand was warm under your feet. The sun was beating down on you and you couldn't help the pleased sigh that escaped your mouth. It was so nice here compared to home. You really missed the warmer weather when you didn't have to bundle up just for a quick trip to the store and back again. You couldn't wait for the weather to get back into the warmer temperatures.

The boys finally found a spot they deemed worthy. You took a moment to glance around. There weren't too many people out, despite it being pretty hot out. You were worried for a moment before you looked behind you. It dawned on you that this was more a private beach. These were houses people owned and came to when they needed to get away.

Well, isn't that nifty.

You set your phone down on the towel that G laid out for you. You unwrapped the skirt from your hips, placing it under your phone so it didn't blow away in the wind. You looked back up, shielding your eyes from the sun above you. The waves were a beautiful blue, and you smiled as you watched Tiny and Paps chase each other to the water.

“ya comin', doll?”

“Yeah, I–”

The words died a horrible death on your tongue as you watch Rus pull his shirt over his head. You heard someone chuckling next to you, snapping you out of your reverie. You blinked and looked over to see the other three smirking at you knowingly. You just held up a hand.

“Don't,” you said weakly.

Guy held up his hands. “no one is saying anything, berry.”

“You Were Caught.”

“Chief,” you groaned as the others laughed. “Come on.”

He smirked at you, leaning down and grabbing your hand. His grip was warm as he tugged you toward the water, where Paps and Tiny were bouncing excitedly in the water as they waited. You laughed as you felt hands on your waist, lifting you up and with a screech, you were thrown into the cold water.

Instincts kicked in as you made your way back to the surface, gasping for air and laughing as you wiped your eyes of water and tried getting the heavy strands of hair from your face. Once you had finally gotten all the hair from your face, you caught sight of Buddy, still dry, on the sand in front of the waves. He was guffawing loudly, belly shaking rumbles that had you glaring at him.

You put both arms in front of you in the water before spreading them out and splashing every single one of them within distance. Buddy's laughter cut off, now sputtering as he tried getting water from his mouth. Your own laughter was cut short as you were once again lifted from the water.

“that's just dirty fightin', doll,” you heard Rus whisper in your ear before he turned sharply. His movements were still slightly sluggish though, as he threw you once more into the water.

Once surfaced, you growled, glaring at them all. Chief and Buddy were smirking at you as Tiny and Paps made their way to you. You noticed the twinkle in their eyes and grinned, waiting for them to come next to you before you announced loudly war has begun.

By the time the sun had gone down, you had drank more salt water than you thought was healthy. Paps and Tiny helped you from the ocean. Your legs buckled for a minute as you laughed, trying to find your footing as the others gathered their things. They made sure your stuff was packed up before they helped lead you toward the lodge.

“Why don't you guys have jelly legs?” you demanded. “You're human, too! Minus G over there.”

Chief snorted. “Other Than The Fact We Are Also Human, Magic.”

You rolled your eyes. “That's such a Sans thing to say,” you muttered.

Once you were back at the house, you were helped up to your room and given your stuff. You hummed, grabbing extra clothes and heading off to the bathroom to shower.

You stood under the spray for a moment before you even started trying to get clean. Your body was going to be sore in the morning, but it was all worth it. You smiled as you scrubbed the salt from your hair and rinsed it out, sighing through your nose as you finished up.

Once you were out, dried and dressed, you made your way to the bedroom and put your bathing suit in the closet over the bar to dry. Once you were sure everything was done, you plugged your phone in to charge and curled over on your side to sleep.

Only sleep didn't come.

You stared out the window of the room, staring at the moon rising in the sky. You kept tossing and turning, grumbling and grunting. The whole lodge was quiet, which you were used to at your own house at this time. You glanced at your phone. You had been doing this for three hours now.

You threw the covers off, huffing. Maybe a little night time walk would help you. You slipped on your flip flops and crept toward the bedroom door.

You snuck through the house, feeling along the wall so you didn't fall down the stairs by accident. Once you had managed to make it to the first floor, you jogged to the front door, opening it slowly and slipping through the small crack before shutting it once more. You let out a small sigh and made your way from the lodge toward the beach.

It was windy, the smell of the ocean calming after the crazy ride you had the last few weeks. Hell, more like the last few months. You slipped your sandals off at some point and walked in the sand barefoot, letting the grainy stuff heat your feet. You were amazed it was still warm from today's heat, but you didn't mind it. It was cool without your jacket, but you hadn't thought to pack one.

You noticed there was a figure a little ways down from where you were, but paid them no mind. They were probably out enjoying the waves themselves. You would just walk right by them and continue on your way.

But when you got closer, you noticed a familiar head of white hair with red tips. You paused in your walk as Chief turned his head, ruby eyes landing on your frozen form. You two stared at each other before he wordlessly held out his hand. You smiled a little, making your way over to him and taking his hand and letting your fingers move between his own.

You couldn't help but feel that while his hand fit with yours...it didn't feel right. It felt like you weren't supposed to be the one doing this with him. That there was someone else out there that had his heart and soul, that should be looking out at the ocean waves while holding his hand. The thought passed as quick as it came, but it left a deep ache in your heart.

“How Are You Faring?” Chief asked suddenly, his voice quiet.

“Faring?” you echoed.

“With Everything Going On,” he explained. “Guy Told Me That Classic Had A Word With You About All Of Us Eventually Going Back To Our Own Universes.”

You hummed in understanding. “I guess...I guess I'm faring as well as I can?” you murmured. “I don't like the idea of losing everyone. But I understand that there are people you guys have to get back to. Friends. Family.”

His hand tightened on yours for a moment and you thought you heard him curse silently. But if he did, the wind carried it away before you could hear it clearly. You were just watching the waves instead, the tug in your soul insisting something was wrong. There was more going on with these human boys, but you didn't want to overstep your bounds.

Did they have lovers where they were from? People they were supposed to take care of and love? Families they made themselves? Stars, you wanted to know, but at the same time...

The thought made you sick.

“Did you have someone back at home?” you asked softly, looking up at him.

He didn't look back at you, but you saw the way those eyes of his seemed to gloss over. He was remembering something, something that made his eyes wet as tears sprung. You sighed softly and moved, wrapping your arms around his frame. He hugged you back, tightly, holding you close to him as you heard him sniffle. There was a pain in your bondmate's heart that you couldn't soothe, and that made you hurt.

The two of you moved back and you wiped the tears from his eyes and his cheeks as he smiled down at you. It was gentle, something soft. _Something that should have been reserved for someone else._

You shook off that thought, unsure of where it came from. The two of you stayed there for a moment, watching the waves and talking quietly with each other. You didn't know how long the two of you stayed like that, wrapped up in each other. You felt yourself drifting for a moment before you felt him lift you, adjusting you so you were on his back.

It was silent on the way back to the house. It was even quieter as the two of you crept back inside and made your way up the stairs. To your surprise, you didn't get the chance to say goodnight to him before he opened the door to your room and followed you inside.

The second the door closed, he was on you. You gasped as he lifted you, pinning you between him and the wall. His lips sealed the startled squeak that left your lips, drawing out a long moan from you instead.

It had been so long since you had kissed an actual pair of lips rather than teeth. His mouth molded over yours so perfectly as he angled his head, his hand creeping up to tangle in your hair. You took in a sharp intake of breath through your nose, letting out a little whimper as he pressed himself closer to you.

Your mouth opened against the prodding of his tongue, the two of you tangling together as you clutched his shirt in your hands. Your legs had wrapped themselves around his hips at some point as he kept you pinned against the wall.

He moved back a sliver, letting the two of you get some much needed air. You panted against him as he glanced down at you, ruby eyes moving over your form pinned against the wall and himself. You smiled up at him before he closed the distance and kissed you again.

You don't know how long the two of you were like that, exchanging kisses and small whispers with each other. Your arms had somehow managed to snake their way around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Your shirt had come off at some point, leaving you left in a simple bra. His shirt had flown somewhere else, too. Chief pulled away again, letting you take in a large gulp of air.

“You're So Beautiful, Flame,” he murmured. “Let Me Stay With You Tonight.”

Your brain was foggy, but you tried to clear it as your mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. Was he asking for something? You weren't ready for any of that just yet. Sure, your hormones were demanding it, but stars, you didn't think you could actually go through with it.

Chief must have noticed, because he shook his head. “Just Lay With Me. We'll Sleep. Nothing More. I Promise.”

You nodded. “Okay...Papyrus.”

His ruby eyes lit up before they dimmed again. He held your gaze as you slid down the wall, careful to hold you until you gained blood flow back into your legs. He led you to the bed, helping you into it before climbing in behind you.

Once you were settled, he wrapped his arm around your waist and brought you closer to him. You felt your eyes drifting shut, sleep taking you over as he murmured a goodnight into your ear.

–

“Sweetie? What Are You Doing?”

You looked up to see Paps had entered the kitchen, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he took in the controlled disaster around you. You smiled at him before returning to flipping the pancake in the skillet you were using.

You had decided to make them breakfast. Chief had been gone when you woke up with a text to your phone that he was going on a morning run. So, in light of having nothing better to do, why not go and make some food?

“I'm making everyone breakfast,” you said softly. “Figure it was the least I could do while I was here. Plus, I like cooking.”

Paps hummed, coming to stand beside you as he took some of the stuff that was already done and took it to the table nearby. Once he came back, he brought out another skillet and turned on the burner. Once it was hot enough, he started carefully putting the sausages in there without managing to burn himself.

You hummed a little tune as the two of you worked. You noticed he tried remaining as quiet as possible when you were humming. You put another finished pancake on the platter next to you before you poured in the last of the batter for the last one.

You worked quickly as you started hearing footsteps on the stairs. You glanced over to see Rus yawning, stretching his arms over his head and grunting. G came next, running a hand over his skull. You chuckled as he came behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

“mornin', angel,” he murmured in your ear.

“Morning,” you hummed.

You went to flip the pancake when G turned your head, giving you a chaste kiss before moving away from you and heading to the table. Your face was flushed as Paps admonished him. You laid your hand on his arm, giving him a quick smile before you plated the last pancake. The two of you made your way to the table with the others, dishes in hand.

“everythin' looks great, sweetheart,” Buddy said, snagging a pancake right as you set the plate down. “get bored 'r somethin'?”

You shook your head, saying, “Nah, I just like to cook. Figured I could thank you guys this way.”

You heard the front door open and you watched as Chief came into the room, wiping sweat from his brow. He glanced over at the table and ran his eyes over everyone sitting there and the assortment in front of everyone. Without a word, he headed upstairs.

“he'll be back down when he showers,” Guy explained when you raised a brow. “he won't just sit and eat while he's sweating everywhere.”

You snorted, taking a couple of the sausages before grabbing the bowl full of eggs from G. You heard Tiny laugh as Rus grunted, glaring at you playfully. You stuck your tongue out at him and spooned some of the eggs onto your dish. When you were satisfied, you handed them to Rus who took some and set the bowl down.

Only to drown the eggs in honey.

You let out an indignant whine, drowned out by the laughter around the table as Buddy squirted some mustard on his and Guy poured some ketchup on his. You weren't as mad at Guy as you were the others; at least the ketchup made sense!

Chief came back into the room a bit later, sitting next to his brother as he helped himself. Conversation flowed smoothly around the table as you answered questions and talked idly about the dumbest shit. G made a comment about how he had to leave in the afternoon to go help Sans with the machine.

“Will you be gone the rest of the weekend?” you asked, tearing apart one of the pancakes with your fingers.

“unfortunately.” His teeth lifted a little at the corner. “it would be easier if he would stop messing with the stuff he doesn't know shit about.”

You winced a little, but hoped no one caught it. You knew they would all need to go home...but what if there was a way they could stay here? Maybe bring their loved ones over? You chewed on your bottom lip as you swept the thought away. There was no way. Sans had already told you there was no way for it to be possible.

Instead of dwelling on it, you pasted on a smile as you stood, gathering the dishes around the table and taking them to the kitchen. You glanced over to see Tiny had joined you, grinning at you while placing the dishes still filled with food on the counter. The two of you worked in companionable silence, the only noise the clattering of dishes and the opening and closing of the fridge.

Once everything was done and the kitchen was tidied up, you leaned against the counter, blowing out a small breath. You went to turn away when you felt someone grab your hand. You startled, looking over to see Tiny glancing up at you with a small, nervous smile. You turned a little more so you were craning your neck, squeezing his hand a little bit.

“What's up?” you asked quietly.

“I Was...Wondering If You Would Accompany Me On A Date This Afternoon,” he mumbled, his face growing pink. “Nothing In A Romantic Sense, Of Course! But I Think A Friend Date Is Long Over Due!”

You chuckled, nodding and leaning down to press your lips to his cheek. The pink on his face deepened and you laughed a little, pulling away and giving him a cheeky grin yourself.

“Of course, Sans,” you murmured. “Come get me when you're ready. I'm gonna go and see what the others are up to.”

The use of his real name as his eyes growing large as his grin stretched across his face. He threw his arms around you in a hug quickly before pulling away and scurrying off, heading for the stairs. You watched him for a moment before shaking your head, a grin on your lips before you made your way to the living room area.

Guy was seated on the couch, game controller in his hand. He was pressing the buttons in a flurry of motions as you watched him fighting off a monster in Dark Souls. Your nose crinkled; you hated that game, really. It was a pain in the ass and definitely too difficult for you. You weren't afraid to admit it. But watching someone play it wasn't too bad.

You decided to go in there, laying across the rest of the couch and plopping your head in his lap. He tensed for a moment before it slowly ebbed away. His body moved while his eyes never left the screen and you were laying more comfortably on him. Your hand played with the edges of his pant leg, your eyes never leaving the screen.

You had to admit, lazy days were definitely a favorite. You always felt like you were on the move around the house at home. Whether it was helping prep for dinner or going shopping or even going to work. Making sure everyone had their time with you. It was definitely times like this where you could just relax and enjoy life for a little while.

You watched him play for a moment or two longer before you huffed, moving yourself from his lap and leaning against him, making sure he still had moving room for his arm. One you were sure he did, you ran your hands through the shock white hair, pursing your lips and humming a little. The strands were soft against your fingers and you smiled when you saw his eyes dart up to you for a second. But his icy eyes went right back to his game.

“Pay attention to me,” you whined playfully.

He chuckled, but didn't say anything or make a motion to get off the game. You huffed again, glaring at the offending game console and controller before you leaned back. You let out a little, pitiful whine that just got you laughed at you. You glared at him now. You weren't going to be outdone by a stupid game that always got you killed.

You turned, dramatically falling in his lap with an arm over your eyes. He let out a startled “oof” and his body shook in silent laughter above you. You whined at him, calling him mean and evil for not paying attention to you.

“Stop ignoring me,” you groaned.

There was a pause in movements before you felt a hand of his combing through your hair. Or, well, trying to. You moved your arm, turning to the side and letting your eyes fall closed. You really did love when someone played with your hair.

“sorry, berry,” he murmured. You opened your eyes, startled. His face had gotten much closer and there was a smirk on his lips. “guess i'm a shit host; i invite ya then ignore ya, huh?”

You sputtered for a moment, trying to ignore the way his shoulders bounced in laughter. You glared, laughing and shoving his shoulder playfully. The two of you looked at each other before you felt him leaning down.

You met him halfway, throwing your arm over his shoulder and lifting yourself a little bit. Your mouth met his, and you let out a little breath through your nose. You felt a shiver going up your back as he let out a little groan, his hands traveling down to grip your sides and lifting your upper half from his legs.

With a little wiggling and a lot of panting, he was kneeling above you on the couch, pressing little chaste kisses to your mouth as you ran your hands through his hair. It really was just so soft. His hands moved over your sides, sliding under your shirt the tiniest bit before retracting again.

“you taste amazing, berry,” he murmured against your lips. “glad i get to spend some time with you.”

Your face was flushed as you let your fingertips stroke against his cheek. You smiled up at him as he closed the distance again, his hands tangling in your hair as you let out a little bout of laughter.

–

You and Guy spent a good portion of the morning going back and forth between stealing kisses and playing games. At one point, he had brought out Mario Kart and the two of you had been doing your best to get the other in last place. You would simply run your fingers along his thigh or steal a quick kiss. He, however, would lean over and whisper things in your ear that had you blushing right up to your hair line.

` When lunch rolled around, you were ready to take a cold shower or take a dunk in the ocean. Guy looked smug and unaffected as he followed you into the kitchen, snatching up a bottle of pop and leaving again to your work with a quick kiss on your cheek. You glared at his back as he left.

You couldn't even claim he was being unfair since you had been doing the same thing. You groaned and leaned on the counter, shaking your head. But you were still smiling, even as you reached for your phone you had left in here.

You had a slew of messages from the others at the houses and cabins. Zapfino had only messaged once, asking to text her to let her know you were okay. You sent her a quick update before scrolling through the other messages. The boys in the house had sent at least one text, asking if you were having fun or if you were lonely. Your grin was ear to ear when you got to Mutt's text.

**PuppyRus:** 'ts so borin' here w/o ya. come home.

You rolled your eyes, sending him a text you'd be home eventually before pressing send. You let the others know you were fine and no, you were not lonely. You set your phone down again right as Tiny came into the kitchen, grinning as he held up a little picnic basket in his hands.

“Are You Ready To Go, Fairy?”

You nodded, once more grabbing your phone and tucking it into your pocket. You waved bye to the others, giving G a kiss on the cheek and telling him you would see him around. Once he had popped out of existence, you were on your way out and to the beach.

You noticed that your soul didn't seem to tug in the same sense as it did when Edge, Sans or any of the other romantic bondmates were around with Tiny. It felt more like being with Zapfino. Easy going and quiet, even as he found a spot in the grass some ways away from where the beach started and the grass ended. You two worked quickly to set everything up, placing shoes and weighted objects along the ends and the corners so nothing flew up. You tucked your hair behind your ear as the wind kicked up, sending the strands flying everywhere.

You really should have brought a hair tie.

You looked around for a moment as Tiny excitedly brought everything out in front of you. Sandwiches, chips and a couple bottles of pop. It was the cheapest thing, you thought, and it was absolutely perfect.

The two of you talked as you ate, laughing and enjoying each other's company. You leaned over to wipe off a smearing of what looked like mayonnaise from the side of his mouth. He caught your hand, gloves still on even while he ate. You let your arm go lax as he brought your hand to his face, nuzzling his cheek against it.

“You okay, Sans?” you asked softly. “All of you seem a little on edge.”

Tiny's bright cyan eyes looked at your face, flitting between your own gaze. You let him have a moment as he sighed, dropping your hand from his face, but keeping it between his own. He stared at your hand in his for a moment before he nodded.

“I'm Alright, Fairy. Just Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop Where We Leave You,” he murmured. “Rus...Papy Is Really Happy Here.”

The way he said it sounded forced, like he was trying to speak it through clenched teeth. You squeezed his hands. His hands were flushed pink and you smiled, leaning over and kissed his cheek. He sputtered for a moment, looking up at you with wide eyes.

“It's alright to be honest with me, Sans,” you said quietly. “Just because you're not a romantic bondmate, doesn't mean I care about you any less.”

Tiny let out a little breath, looking toward the ocean. You followed his gaze, watching as the waves crashed into the shore. You could smell the salt in the air, almost feel it sticking to your skin. You rubbed your arm with your free hand before he looked back at you.

“It's Weird Not Seeing Our Friends As Monsters,” he said. “Chara, Frisk, Other Humans Here? They Were Monsters Back In Our Timeline. Same Thing With The Others.”

You blinked. “Really? When I looked at the files Sans keeps for you guys, and it didn't say much for your guys' universes. Just that it was a human universe, what type it was and what your monikers were.”

“Guy...Didn't Want To Tell Classic Anything Since He Considered Us 'Wild Cards',” Tiny spat, his voice hardening for a moment. “We're Human, So Classic Didn't Trust Us Any.”

You frowned. You should have guessed that. You knew Sans had one hell of a trust issue when it came to humans. You noticed a lot of them did. You didn't miss the glares they often gave other human beings, and sometimes even monsters, though it varied given the skeleton.

“You'd Have To Ask Guy Or Paps About Their Universe, Same With Buddy And Chief.” He glanced at the ocean, eyes seeming distant. “But All Our Universes Run About The Same As Our Skeletal Counterparts.”

You two talked a little more, but he didn't say much else about his universe except that when he goes home, he can't wait to see all of his friends again. You found out Chara in his universe was a goat monster. It was adorable. He had a picture of her tucked in his wallet, which he'd had on him when they were brought here.

He looked...happy. Truly happy. There was a light in his eyes that you didn't see while he was here. Your chest constricted as you thought that maybe, just maybe, they'd be better off going home.

The two of you cleaned up, the atmosphere a little lighter now as you made your way back to the lodge. He held your hand in his, swinging your hands as he skipped along the path back home. You laughed, skipping along with him at some point.

When you got inside, you saw that Rus was looking between you two with a raised brow before chuckling and sticking an unlit cigarette between his lips. He winked at you before walking off towards the back, digging a lighter out of his shorts pocket. You looked at Tiny for clarification, but he just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

You chuckled with him and decided you were gonna go upstairs for a little while. Tiny agreed he'd see you around dinner time and you marched up the stairs, heading for your room.

But not before you nearly clocked Buddy in the face with your phone. He managed to catch it, putting it down on the nightstand by the bed while he chuckled low. You held a hand over your racing heart as he shook his head, covering his face with a hand.

“ya startle easy, don'tcha, sweetheart?” he breathed out. “man, what 't mus' b' like havin' to deal with th' fellas at home.”

“It's a nightmare, is what it is,” you muttered, moving to shuck your shoes and climbing onto the bed beside him.

He hummed and you tucked yourself under the covers, almost faceplanting into the pillow as you sighed. You were mentally worn out, and your eyes drifted shut as Buddy's fingers started running through your hair. You turned to face him, opening one eye lazily and glancing up at him.

“Platonic or romantic?” you asked, slurring your words a little.

“platonic as fuck,” he murmured, continuing to run his fingers through your hair. “but yer m' bro's romantic bondmate, so i'mma treat ya like ya m' own, too.”

You nodded, letting your eyes drift shut again as you heard him sigh. You slipped into oblivion as you heard him whisper to nap well.

–

You were confused when you woke up. Buddy wasn't with you, and it was dark outside. You sat up, holding your head as you tried blinking the sleep from your eyes. You snagged your phone from where it was sitting on the night stand, opening it and noticing that Paps had sent you a text.

**PapyWithHair:** We Left Some Dinner Out For You. Buddy Said You Looked Exhausted, So We Let You Sleep. After You Finish Eating, Please Make Sure To Shower And Go Right Back To Bed!

You couldn't help the smile that graced your face as you yawned, placing your phone down and coming off the bed. You stretched, feeling your knees pop and wincing at the sting it left behind. Once you felt like you were good to go, you grabbed your phone once more and made your way to the door, opening it slowly.

All the lights were off in the house, and you looked around. Not a single noise could be heard, much like the night before. You knew from prior knowledge Tiny, Paps and Chief all went to bed really early, much like Edge, Papyrus and Blue. The others usually followed not long after.

Using the flashlight on your phone so you didn't have to turn on the lights, you made your way down the stairs. You kept an ear out in case you heard any of the others around you stirring or waking up from your movements. Once you were down the stairs, you noticed they left a little lamp in there with your food underneath it, wrapped neatly in saran wrap.

You smiled as you turned the flashlight on your phone off and set it on the counter next to you. You unwrapped it, watching as the steam rose from the food before you checked the time the text had been sent to you. It had been a couple of hours ago. Your guess is they had used magic of some kind to keep the food warm enough for you.

“Fine with me,” you muttered to yourself, smiling as you took a bite of green beans.

You were about halfway through your plate when you heard it.

“ _There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea  
You became the light on the dark side of me  
Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill  
But did you know that when it snows  
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen?_

_Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey  
Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah  
Now that your rose is in bloom  
A light hits the gloom on the grey.”_

Blinking, you pocketed your phone and grabbed your food. It was still dark in the house, but you caught light at the top of the stairs. You took another quick bite of your food as you made your way up the stairs slowly, so as not to disturb whoever was singing.

“ _There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say  
You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain  
Baby, to me, you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny  
Won't you tell me, is that healthy, baby?  
But did you know that when it snows  
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen? _

“ _Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey  
Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah  
Now that your rose is in bloom  
A light hits the gloom on the grey _

“ _I've been kissed by a rose on the grey  
I've been kissed by a rose on the grey  
And if I should fall, will it all go away?  
I've been kissed by a rose on the grey.”_

You stopped, noting that there was a door open with a light shining through. But out on the back deck, there was someone sitting outside in what looked to be a hot tub. You could see faint tendrils of steam rising from it as someone lanky leaned back against the side, staring up the night sky above them. You crept closer, trying to keep yourself quiet.

“ _There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say  
You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain  
To me, you're like a growing, addiction that I can't deny  
Won't you tell me, is that healthy, baby?  
But did you know that when it snows  
My eyes become large, and the light that you shine can be seen?”_

You stepped out onto the desk, and the person turned his head. Rus stared at you, still humming part of the song as you came closer to him, sitting down on a chair near the hot tub. His orange eyes remained on you as you ate, your head tilted as he picked up the song again.

“ _Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey  
Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah  
Now that your rose is in bloom  
A light hits the gloom on the grey_

“ _Yes I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey  
Ooh, the more I get of you stranger it feels, yeah  
And now that your rose is in bloom  
A light hits the gloom on the grey _

“ _Now that your rose is in bloom  
A light hits the gloom on the grey.”_

You waited until he finished his song before you set your plate down and clapped a little. He chuckled, running a hand over his face. Sweat was dripping a little down his face and matting his hair to his forehead. There were water droplets along his chest and dropping back into the water. Orange eyes pierced the darkness as he looked at you.

“glad to see ya found your food, doll,” he said softly. “you feeling okay?”

You nodded, eating the last piece of pork chop before you set the plate on the table beside you. You crossed one leg over the other and leaned your elbow on it, propping your chin in your hand.

“Yeah, I'm alright. I guess I was just tired.”

He chuckled, motioning for the hot tub. “well, i'll be here for a bit longer if ya wanna get changed and join me?”

You thought about it for a moment before you smiled, nodding. “Let me put this in the sink and get changed. I'll be a moment.”

He nodded, giving your butt a little pat as you passed. You waved him off, earning a chuckle as you made your way back inside. You used your phone's flashlight again to help you trek the house, putting the plate in the sink and washing both fork and plate before setting them in their rack to dry. You made your way upstairs, making quick work of stripping and putting on your bathing suit. Once you were triple sure everything was tied well enough, you made your way back to the deck, leaving your phone in your room.

Rus turned to see you as you stepped back out, leaving the back sliding door cracked as you made your way over, carefully getting into the warm water. It wasn't too hot, thankfully. You were grateful they could feel temperature like you could.

When you were finally in the water, he drew you close, tucking you under his arm. You leaned against him, chuckling. You noticed he had a little bit of a belly, and you couldn't help as you ran your hands over the skin under the water. He jumped a little, chuckling.

“does it bother ya?” he asked.

You shook your head. “Nah, I don't mind it at all. I love it, actually,” you murmured. “If you're too skinny, I can't cuddle you. Cuddling sticks it terrible.”

He wheezed out a laugh, hand over his face as you chuckled with him. You were curled up against his side and stared up at the stars. And you could see the stars here. There weren't lights and city smog to ruin the view for you. They were twinkling in and out of the night sky.

“ya really are somethin', y/n,” Rus said suddenly. “ti...sans came back all happy. haven't seen him smile like that since we first got here.”

You hummed. “He told me some stuff about your universe. That your friend Chara is the monster there, not the human?”

He nodded, chuckling. “that'd be right. all the monsters here are humans in mine and the others' timelines.”

“How did it even work there?” you asked softly. “Did they free you, or did you free them?”

He sighed. “they freed us. in our timelines, humans were trapped. it's how we found out we could also use magic. desperate times calls for desperate measures. in a state of fear, the magic from our own souls made itself known.”

Your eyes were wide. “How long were you guys down there?” you squeaked out.

“hm, quite a while, I think. maybe a few decades?”

You could have choked on something had you something to choke on. Just how old were they?! You could understand the skeletons, they were monsters! But the humans...

“sans and myself were born underground,” he clarified, laughing at the face you were making. “our...father was the one who figured out the whole magic deal.”

The way he spat the word “father” made you think of your own mother. How many times have you used the term, or thought of her name and spat it out? Like it was the most acidic thing on the face of the earth. You were pulled from your train on thought when he sighed, his hand trailing along your arm idly.

“buddy and chief had it a lot worse than the others of us humans. they don't...talk about their situations very often.”

“I can't really say I blame them,” you murmured. “If their timeline is anything like Red and Edge's, then I wouldn't want to go back to it, either.”

He only nodded as the two of you sat there a little longer. He started chuckling. You looked over in confusion as he finally spoke.

“so, had a friend dig a hole in the garden back home. filled it with water.” He looked at you, orange eyes flashing with mirth. “i think he meant well.”

You covered your mouth to hide your snickers. He grinned at you, grabbing your hand with his and moving it.

“what kind of beds do mermaids sleep on?”

“Papyrus, I swear–”

“water beds.”

Your snickers were louder. Christ, they weren't even that funny! For what felt like eternity, he hit with you water jokes and puns, one right after the other. Your sides hurt and there were little tears in the corner of your eyes. Your head was on his chest as your hands remained joined underwater. He brought his other hand over, moving the slightly damp hair from your eyes.

“you're beautiful,” he murmured.

You felt like he had more to say, something else to tack onto it. But he didn't say it, instead leaning down and capturing your lips with his. You let his hand go, placing it on his chest as the two of you let out little breaths through your noses.

He lifted from the water, breaking contact for a moment to breathe as he settled you on his lap. Once you were straddling him, his hand tangled itself in your hair and you groaned as he brought you back in for another mind numbing kiss. You whimpered a little as you felt your heart racing in your chest.

Your hands were around his neck, fisted in his hair as he pulled away again, both of you panting and lids half closed. His other hand came up as the one in your hair loosened. He traced the lines of your lips and nose for a moment, sending a little tingle down your spine as he smiled up at you.

“lemme stay with ya tonight, doll?” he murmured.

You nodded, leaning down to kiss him again. The two of you broke away after a moment as he left the hot tub, keeping his arms under your ass as he flipped something off with his foot. The two of you made it back to your room, still giving quiet, heated kisses.

“Go get dried and changed,” you panted out, “and I'll do the same. Don't wanna go to sleep still wet.”

He chuckled. You gasped as his teeth tugged on your earlobe.

“ya sure about that?” he whispered, letting you drop to your feet before he left with one more kiss.

You stayed in your spot for a moment longer before you went to find a towel in the bathroom. Once you had it, you dried yourself off as you made your way back to your room. You pulled out your sleeping shorts and a tank top, peeling off your bathing suit once more before hanging it in the closet to dry. You dressed quickly, hanging the towel up beside it.

You made it to the bed right as Rus came back in, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. He made his way over to you wordlessly, hands cupping your face as his mouth found yours once more in the darkened room. Your hands gripped his as the two of you fell onto the bed, your gasp swallowed by his own mouth.

At some point, the two of you tucked each other in, wrapped up in each other. You stole little kisses here and there, something soft and tender. Your hand drew random designs on his chest as the two of you slowly began to fall asleep.

“g'night, doll,” he mumbled. “get some sleep.”

And you did. You fell into a deep sleep, curled up with Rus.

–

The next morning, you woke up. Rus was still beside you, your legs wrapped up with his, your head was on his chest and rose and fell in time with his breathing. You let out a little yawn. You were looking at the sun rising slowly in the window when you felt Rus's breathing changed and he shifted a little.

You looked up to see his eyes on you, a deep orange color as he tried to gather himself. He smiled down at you, pressing a small kiss to your forehead.

“mornin', doll,” he murmured.

“Morning,” you croaked.

You cleared your throat as he chuckled lowly. The two of you laid there, his fingers playing with your hair as you talked softly. You heard movement around the house before there was a knock on your door. You groaned, moving to turn as you called for whoever it was to come in.

Buddy opened the door, leaning against the doorframe as he took in the two of you. He grinned, golden tooth glinting in the light shining through the window.

“breakfast 's ready downstairs, lazy asses,” he said, bouncing off the frame. “chief's waitin'.”

He left the room, leaving the door wide open. You rolled your eyes before you made your way from the bed, almost falling down to the floor again. Rus laughed behind you, leaving the bed himself. Once he rounded the bed, you were pulled into a quick kiss before he winked at you, leaving your room before you could say anything else. You smiled at the door before you snagged your phone and made your way downstairs, heading for the table where everyone was starting together.

“morning, berry,” Guy yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He sat down beside you, thunking his head on the table.

You laughed. “You okay there, bud?”

Paps sighed as he placed a plate in front of you. “It Seems Classic Called My Brother And Buddy In For Some Help On The Blasted Machine.” He looked at you with a raised brow, a knowing look in his icy eyes. “Couldn't Seem To Find Rus.”

Your face heated and the table laughed as Rus came back down, sitting in the chair on your other side. You sputtered trying to explain the two of you had done nothing, but the entire experience of breakfast was spent poking fun at you. Granted, they never went too far, and they always stopped a train of speaking when you said to. But you couldn't help laughing at the crude words Buddy and Chief spoke and the sly grins Paps and Guy sent you.

Tiny even picked on his brother. Rus was trying to block it, but Tiny was definitely on the ball with this. They were in the middle of bickering when you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket.

You took it out and opened it to a text from G.

**FlirtyBadBoy:** hey, angel, everyone behaving over there?

**You:** Yeah, we're doing fine. Everything okay with the machine? Guy and Buddy mentioned they were there last night.

**FlirtyBadBoy:** yeah, it's fine. just checking in on you since we figured rus stayed the night with ya. ;)

Your face heated as you groaned. Not him, too.

Once breakfast was finished, you sat next to Buddy on the couch as you watched Guy play more Dark Souls. He was cursing up a storm and it didn't help Buddy was laughing at him and making stupid comments. You slapped a hand over his mouth at one point, but pulled it away when he licked you.

“Man, what the hell,” you groaned, wiping it on his shirt.

He laughed, winking down at you. But he never made a move other than to keep you close to him. You felt safe, protected. You felt that way with everyone.

They decided that, since today was your last day with them, they would take you out to the beach one last time before you were whisked away back home. You were really not looking forward to the cold and snow.

You went to change and shoved Guy from your room before you did. He protested, laughing as you slammed the door in his face. You rolled your eyes, letting your own laughter out before you finished changing and grabbing the stuff you needed. Once you were ready, you met them outside, where Chief handed your stuff to his brother before kneeling in front of you, hands placed behind him.

You jumped on his back, arms around his throat as he chuckled lowly. The seven of you made your way to the beach, talking and laughing. They were still picking on Rus about spending the night with you before turning to Chief, who had spent the first night with you in your bed. The human in question merely stuttered for a moment before telling them to shut their goddamn mouths.

At the beach, you were on your stomach, watching the boys throw each other around, with Buddy and Tiny using their magic to cheat. You laughed along with them, and you wiggled a little, the sun was starting to really hurt. Where was that sun lotion?

“Sweetie?”

You looked over to see Paps had come to your side. You smiled a little and went to sit up, but he shook his head. He placed his gloves on the towel next to you before he moved, settling behind you. You felt his weight on your lower back and squeaked.

“It's Alright, Sweetie. I'm As Platonic As They Come,” he chuckled, his hands moving through your hair.

You felt him gathering it in his hands, taking the hair tie from your wrist and tying it up against your head. Once the ponytail was in place and the ends of your hair moved from your shoulders, you felt him move a moment before he grabbed the sun lotion, squirting some in his hands and rubbing them together before moving to rub your back.

You moaned, eyes closing and face buried in your arms. It felt good, and you could have made even more sex noises had you not muffled yourself. Hell, it felt like he was both giving you a back rub and putting the lotion on. You were in absolute heaven right then and there.

It was quiet with you two, but it was a comfortable quiet. He rubbed the lotion into your back while also attempting to work out the kinks. You rolled your shoulders a few times, grunting when he lightly tapped you to stop. You looked up, blinking against the light of the sun.

You were watching the waves crash against the shore, watching the other boys goof off in the water as Paps's weight lifted off of you. You looked up at him as he wiped his hands from the lotion and put his gloves back on his hands. You smiled at him, which he returned. Those almost white eyes pierced right through you as he reached out, a gloved hand on your cheek.

When he pulled it away, it was dark. You blinked at it in shock before touching your own face.

“Sweetie, Why Are You Crying?” he asked softly, his eyes full of worry.

“I...don't know. Maybe just having looked up into the light after hiding my face in my arms so long,” you murmured, looking back out at the ocean in front of you.

He didn't say anything, but you didn't have any other answer. Why were you crying? Was it because you were sad you had to leave? Or because you felt like there was something wrong happening? You sighed and got up. You weren't going to sit here and mope.

You turned to face Paps, wiping under your eyes before holding your hand out and grinning at him.

“Let's go play with the others,” you said. “Looks like they have another war going on.”

He only stared at you for a moment before he chuckled, pulling off his gloves once more and placing them with Chief's and Tiny's.

“As You Wish.”

He took your hand, the two of you running into the water. You screeched with how cold it was, goosebumps rising on your skin as you were picked up, the glow of magic surrounding you.

“plug your nose, berry!” Guy called, his hand encased in magic.

“You suck!” you called as you plugged your nose and sucked in a deep breath.

“get dunked on!” he called and his magic released you.

You were submerged under water again. You made your way to the surface, sputtering and laughing as you got your ponytail out of your mouth and cleared the water from your eyes as best as you could.

“Magic is cheating!” you yelled to him over the sounds of the crashing waves.

He only laughed loudly, swam over to you, wrapping you up in a hug before he pressed his lips to yours. You kissed him back for a moment before he pulled away from you, winking.

“ya taste a little... _salty_ to me, berry.”

You let out a groan and splashed him with water, which he only laughed at louder. You called out to the others he made a horrible ocean pun, which put Chief, Tiny and Paps into a chasing scene with him. You leaned back between Rus and Buddy, laughing and shaking your head at him.

The sun was going down when everyone decided it was time to head home. You noticed everyone seemed to drag their feet, as though trying to prolong their time with you. You needed to make sure you came out to see them more often.

Buddy and Tiny took dinner duty. You were packing up the last of your things and letting your bathing suit dry a little longer in the closet when a knock came to the open door. You looked over to see Guy there, looking a little sheepish.

“What's up?” you asked.

“can i...talk to you? just for a moment? alone?”

You looked around you pointedly, to which he let out a weak chuckle before stepping into the room and closing the door, leaving it open just a crack. You tilted your head curiously as he sat on the bed, moving your bag and patting the space beside him. You sat down with him.

He opened his mouth before closing it again. He did this a couple more times before he sighed through his nose and leaned against you, placing his cheek on the crown of your head.

“i'm really gonna miss ya, berry,” he sighed. “sorry we don't hang out too much.”

Something inside of you knew he wanted to say something else. Something inside of you didn't care and pushed that horrible thought to the side as you smiled.

“I'll try coming around more during breaks and stuff,” you promised quietly.

“yo, lovebirds,” Buddy said, causing the two of you to jump. “dinner's ready. g's gonna be pickin' ya up later, sweetheart.”

He left and you sighed, trying to calm your racing heart. Guy rolled his eyes and turned your head, giving you a small kiss before he stood, bringing you with him. You snagged your phone and stuck it in your shorts pocket before the two of you went downstairs.

Dinner was filled with giggles and laughter as you all replayed the events of the weekend. You were laughing at a joke Tiny said when you felt your phone vibrate. And it did it again. And again.

You were getting a call.

You took it from your pocket and didn't bother checking the ID as you answered with “hello?” around a mouthful of baked potato.

“who's dick is in your mouth?”

You choked on your potato for a moment, listening to the others around you laughing, even Serif's over the phone. After chugging your water, you blew out a breath and groaned.

“Really? That was such a good potato!” you whined.

“sorry, sweets,” he chuckled. There was a pause and you heard shouting and yelling in the background. “uh, we need ya home now.”

There were the sounds of crashing and you heard Red snarling something. It was followed with G yelling about something to do with wings. Sans and Stretch were yelling at each other about shutting shit down and you felt your eyes widen.

“Serif, what's going on?”

You felt it before he said anything - the tug on your soul calling you back to the lab. You gasped and nearly dropped your phone. The others around you scrambled into action. Guy snagged your phone, demanding to know what was going on and you felt yourself being lifted into Chief's hold.

“come get her! and us while you're at it!” you heard Guy snap. “for fuck's sake!”

“What's Going On?” Paps demanded, moving the hair from your face.

“there's two more that showed up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Fluff, fluff, fluff-  
> Brain: But what if we did this-  
> Author: Welp. Okay.
> 
> \----
> 
> Before I go, a friend of mine made fanart for the last chapter! T.T And it's absolutely lovely!
> 
> [Dancing with the skeletons](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com/post/615234187377672192/fanart-of-chapter-38-of-a-skele-ton-of-fun-by) by the wonderful [desolateskeleton37](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desolateskeleton37/pseuds/Desolateskeleton37) who also is the author of I'm No Human! ^^; ~~I'm still crying over this piece of art, it's so wonderful.~~


	40. Demon? Demon!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more boys?! Oh, man...
> 
> Karma and Justice seem to wanna hang out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already love this chapter so much.
> 
> Y'all are some smart cookies. A few of you guessed who the new boys were and were so excited. xD 
> 
> A huge thank you to Boss for the notes and putting up with my annoying ass for answering questions that were needed for this! You're the best, bro, and I love you the most! 
> 
> And another huge thank you to Nascent, as usual, for her wonderful job and quickness on editing and making sure my dumbass eats and does what they need to. xD
> 
> **This chapter is Boss approved.**
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> \--
> 
> Introducing:  
>  **Birdtale Sans:** Raven  
>  **Birdtale Papyrus:** Cardinal
> 
> **Song in Chapter:** Boombox by Larua Marano
> 
> \--
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Pile](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com)
> 
> Want A Good Read?:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> [Our Place Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546) by [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent/pseuds/Nascent)
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself. :3
> 
> Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

You were practically ripped from Chief's grip. You let out a startled gasp as Serif appeared with a crackle of magic, Rus and Buddy already having disappeared. Guy muttered something you couldn't make out as Chief snorted something. Serif only sighed, his phalanges gripping into Buddy's hoodie as you closed your eyes and buried your face in Guy's hoodie.

The feeling of the void was cold, your whole body weightless for mere seconds before the feeling faded and the sounds of shouting were deafening in your ears. You scrunched your face up as you moved away from Guy's chest, feeling his racing heart under your hands as you took in the damage around you.

It was even worse than when Karma and Justice had appeared. The machine was smoking and there were a few wires hanging from it. There were flashing lights all around you and you could see Red and Sans moving through the lab trying to shut stuff down. But what caught your eyes was up in the rafters, a flash of black catching your attention.

Another version of Sans, judging by the skull shape through the smoke in the room, was staring down at you, eyelight blown wide in his sockets as he connected gazes with you. You couldn't see much through the fog. You made out something settled on his skull, and a hoodie like the other Sanses or Sans personalities.

But what really got you were the giant black wings that were come from his back. Your eyes widened as you took them in, noting how some of the feathers moved in the air blown into the room by the fans in the ceiling. You could tell they were twitching and trying to expand, but couldn't do much in the confines of their lab.

“Put me down,” you said softly.

Guy looked between you and the new Sans, his eyes narrowing, but he did as you requested. You smiled and gave him a quick peck before you went a little closer to him.

“careful, honey,” Stretch grunted from where he was under the machine. “he's a volatile one. damn near tore half the room apart before sitting on his little perch up there.”  
“Where's his Papyrus?” you asked, glancing around.

“I AM HERE!”

You startled, turning a little to your left. This Papyrus looked a lot like the classic version. He wore a white t-shirt and a pair of shorts with some kind of weird black body armor that encased every bone. He even had on a pair of red boots and gloves! But instead of a red scarf, this Papyrus wore an orange cape, a pin holding the front in place. There were goggles hanging around his neck, much like his brother.

But, much like the new Sans, the new Papyrus had wings. But his weren't black, they were white. They were blindingly white, causing you to blink a little bit and rubbing your eyes before you could look at him again. Nope, still bright.

“I AM SORRY TO ASK, BUT WHY ARE WE HERE?” he asked, frowning and looking between you and his brother. “SANS, COULD YOU PLEASE COME DOWN?”

The new Sans didn't say anything, his eyelights still remaining on you even as his brother spoke to him. You looked between those lights in his eyes and his wings before you smiled, holding out a hand.

“If you come down, we can take you outside?” you asked gently. “I'm sure your wings are feeling a little cramped?”

He still didn't want to budge. Red scoffed.

“good luck, kitten. lil fuck 's actin' like we were tryin' t' kill 'im,” he snapped, glaring up at the new version of himself. “gotta say 'ts temptin' right now.”

You groaned. “Red, please.” You kept your gaze locked on the new Sans as you kept your hand in the air. “Please? I'm not going to hurt you.”

“i know.”

You blinked as he slowly came down from his perch, flapping his wings once and wincing. You squeaked as he came over to you, grabbing your hand and bringing you in close to him.

“howzabout we all go outside and have a little chat?”

“I would have to agree with that,” you managed to choke out, your face going red.

You heard growling behind you, but it went ignored as you led the new Sans from the lab. You turned to see that some of the others were following, but a few were staying in place to make sure everything was shut down properly. The bird Sans didn't let you go as you led the way out of the lab, squinting as you glanced over at the fading sun.

The second his foot hit the ground, the bird Sans released you, his brother running behind him as the two of them took off into the air without preamble. You watched in wonder as they flitted around each other for a moment, taking in their surroundings. You felt the others coming up behind you, their eyelights moving between you and the new two.

When they were satisfied, the bird Sans came down lower, but didn't completely settle on the ground. You were able to get a better look at him now. He wore a pastel blue shirt under that black hoodie of his, and instead of the pink slippers you were used to, you saw he wore black slippers that had little claws at the end of them.

They were absolutely adorable.

You smiled up at him. “Feeling a little better now?” you asked.

He nodded stiffly. “not really, but sure, kid,” he said, his wings flapping lazily. “names sans, but i assume ya already knew that, huh?”

You chuckled, nodding and rubbing your sternum. Someone came up behind you, grabbing your hand in theirs. By the holes in the palms, you noted they were G's and you relaxed a little in his hold. He held his other hand over your sternum for a moment before he scowled, shaking his head and glaring over at the classic version of himself.

“i told ya not to mess with the machine!” he hissed. “i keep telling you to knock it the fuck off, but ya never wanna listen!”

Sans didn't say anything, and you turned around a little to see him stuffing his sneaker into the ground below him, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Judging by the way his pockets had moved, he was clenching his fists as though he was ready to strike at a moment's notice.

“quit yellin' at him,” Red snapped, squaring up to G. “he's tryin' t' find a way t' send us home, ya ungrateful fuck! some o' us have people we wanna get back to!”

The words struck you, sending you physically reeling away from Red and out of G's hold. His eye sockets widened and his skull snapped over to you. He opened his teeth to say something, but you only shook your head, eyes watering as you felt your heart break just a little.

Or was that your soul?

You weren't sure anymore.

You turned on your heel and ran, ignoring the shouts of everyone behind you. Tears were rolling down your face as you entered town, heading for the first place you could think of. Your heart was hammering in your ears and you could feel the bile rising in the back of your throat like a crude snake.

It shouldn't hurt this much. You knew they would want to go home. Why wouldn't they? They all had lives before you, they had people they loved back home. You were just some silly human who was growing too attached to them at an alarming rate.

You were beginning to love.

A broken sob escaped your throat as you reached your old house, pounding on the door with the side of your fist. Your hits were weak, but you were trying to contain your sobs as you continued to hit the door.

It finally opened, nearly sending you toppling into the hallway. There was a shout before you saw Morgan's face right over yours, his hands on your soaked cheeks as he said something.

But it just sounded garbled, like you were underwater. There was a harsh ringing in your ears as your soul tugged again, causing you to wince in pain.

“Birdie? Birdie, talk to me. What's going on?”

You finally caught on to what he was saying, but you only sniffled, lifting yourself off the floor and wrapping your arms around him tightly. He froze for a moment, but didn't say anything as his arms wound around you, holding you as you continued to cry into his shoulder, your sobs wracking your entire body.

“I-I can't take much more, Morgan,” you sobbed, hiccuping. “I'm trying so hard with everyone here, but he-he keeps pulling people through and I don't know if I can handle anymore. M-my chest hurts s-so bad!”

He didn't say anything as he continued to pat your back, shushing you a little bit as you continued to blubber on. You didn't make much sense after that, you knew, but you didn't care as you shook and cried.

You didn't know how long the two of you were like that, but you were finally able to reign yourself in. You belatedly noticed Mouse and Gareth nearby, their eyes on you, concern and worry etched on their faces. You looked away quickly, sniffling and pulling away from your friend.

“I-I'm sorry. I should have called, but I don't have my phone an–”

“Birdie, it's okay,” he said softly, running a hand through your hair. “Why don't we go into the living room and we can all talk and hang out. I'll ask one of the guys to bring some of your stuff by and you can stay here for a little bit.”

You nodded, letting him help you off the floor. Mouse came up to you, wrapping you in an embrace and holding you close. You returned the gesture, sighing.

“Everything okay?” she asked, moving back to look at you. “You came barreling to the house like you were being chased by the hounds of hell themselves.”

“I'm not okay,” you answered honestly, accepting another hug from Gareth. “But I will be.”

_I hope._

You sighed as they led you into the living room. You were put on the couch as Morgan hung up the phone. He was frowning and he looked at you with a raised brow.

“What did Red say?” he demanded.

_“some o' us have people we wanna get back to!”_

You felt another painful brush against your soul and tears rose again. You held a hand over your mouth as Morgan cursed, bending down and snatching his cigarettes off the table in front of you. He pulled two out, handing you one. You tried shaking your head no, but he waved it a little in the air.

“I know you're doing great, and I look like a douche trying to peer pressure you, but it'll help, and you know it, birdie,” he said softly. “Please. Just...take it.”

You waited a beat before sighing, taking the cancer stick between your fingers before he held out his Zippo for you. You lit the cigarette, letting the smoke fill your lungs before blowing it out. You took in another shaky breath as static filled the air. You tensed for a moment, but when it was Stretch who appeared, you let yourself relax a little.

You got up and ran to him. His arms were already open as you wrapped him in a hug, murmuring apologies and sniffling. He shushed you, petting your hair. You felt him move, probably handing off your stuff to one of the others before his other arm came around you again.

“it's alright, honey,” he sighed against the crown of your head. “take your time, and come home when you're ready.”

“I will,” you whispered. “I just...Red...”

“i know, honey,” he murmured.

His arm moved, hand coming up to cup your cheek and your eyes closed as his teeth met your lips briefly. When he pulled away, he smiled down at you before moving away, shucking himself of his ever-present hoodie.

“this should help your soul stay steady,” he said quietly. “it has my scent on it, and it'll help keep you calm.”

“Thanks, Papyrus,” you said.

With one more parting kiss and a fist bump with Morgan, he was gone in a flash. You clung to his hoodie, sniffling as you tried to make sense of everything happening.

“So. Wanna catch us up to date?” Mouse asked softly behind you.

You spent a few hours explaining everything that had been happening. Morgan only shook his head when you mentioned more cousins coming in and looking for help. Mouse and Gareth seemed a little confused, so you mentioned the mere fact that Sans and Papryus just had a shit ton of cousins.

At one point, you had believed that lie, too.

Once they were caught up, Morgan nearly exploded in rage. Sans and Red had fucked up, there was no doubt about that. Mouse only sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Gareth only gaped at you, as though questioning why you were even with them.

Stretch had managed to get to the lodge and grab your things from Chief and the others. Your phone and your clothes were tucked in there, but your bikini was missing. You gave a sad smile and shook your head as you pulled your phone out.

There were quite a few messages, but Red's messages were the highest number, and he was sitting at the top from having sent you a text a minute before you pulled the phone from your bag.

You weren't ready.

You put your phone back in your bag and sighed, curling up and laying your head on Morgan's shoulder.

“Maybe we should get some sleep,” he murmured. “You and Gareth've got school in the early morning and I'll have to be in not long after you.”

Mouse smiled, holding her hand out. “Come on. We'll have a sleepover like we used to, Y/n.”

You nodded, grabbing your bag and taking her hand. After waving goodnight to the boys, the two of you climbed the stairs and entered your old room. Morgan must have been keeping up with it, since it looked clean. Not a particle of dust in sight.

After changing out of your shorts and tank top, you crawled into bed next to her. The two of you talked, but you were slowly falling asleep as the night wore on.

“It'll be okay, Y/n,” she said gently as your eyes slid shut, “they love you.”

_Do they?_

–

You really forgot how much you hated Mondays.

You trudged to the school, sending Stretch a thank you text for remembering to pack your computer and some warmer clothes for you. He had only sent back a smiley face before telling you to have a good day at school, and he'd see you when you were ready to come home.

The first day back wasn't much different than the first day of the year. New classes, so a syllabus and going over the material and the professor asking questions. You let the others know you were okay, which some of them – like Black – were getting pissed you had run off in the first place. You only rolled your eyes before tucking your phone away again and making your way from the building.

It was freezing out, and you shivered in the coat you wore as your breath fogged up in front of you. Did you want to go home, or did you want to head back to the other house?

“heya, love.”

You shrieked, turning on your heel quickly. You were thanking all the stars above that you didn't trip over your own feet as you came face to face with Karma. You blinked slowly, tilting your head as he came toward you a little more, his hands shoved in his pocket. His hood was pulled up over his head, but you could see the way the fabric avoided touching the thread along his teeth and socket.

“H-hey, Karma,” you said, shuffling a little. “What's up?”

He looked around as people filtered by. A few waved and called out to you, which you returned with a smile and wave of your own as you waited for the answer from the skeleton in front of you. When you looked back at him, he was looking down at you, studying you from head to toe before pulling a hand from his hoodie pocket, holding it out.

“come hang out with my bro and i,” he said, his head tilted. “we've been meanin' to hang out with ya, but with the others around it's been a bit difficult.”

You brought your hand to your mouth, chewing on the skin of your thumb. He had a point. Anytime you tried even getting near them, someone seemed to pop up. Even Pup and Shepard were jumping in on that trend now. You had been growing frustrated...and the thought of going home wasn't exactly appealing right now...

_I just don't want to face Red yet..._

As if sensing your hesitance, Karma chuckled, waving his hand a little. “c'mon, love. only for the night, okay?”

You really did want to ask them questions; you had so many! With a little intake of breath, you slowly took your hand away from your mouth, ignoring the redness on your thumb as you slowly placed your hand in his.

You felt a shiver go through you. He was cold. You didn't know if it was because of the weather around you, or because that was his natural body heat, but he was freezing. You didn't get the chance to pull your hand back in reaction to it as he gripped your wrist, pulling you close to him and wrapping his other arm around your waist.

“hold tight, love,” he murmured against your ear. “i would also suggest closing your eyes, and ignoring any kinda murmuring you might hear if it isn't me.”

You wanted to question it, but you tamped that part down. You'd be able to ask your questions soon enough. So you closed your eyes, burying your face in his hoodie as he chuckled and clutched you a little tighter.

It felt like he took a step, and while it felt cold like the void, it didn't feel weightless. You could hear whispers all around you, the feeling of something or someone grabbing at you and picking at your hair and clothes. You heard Karma growling something before the sensation faded.

After a moment you opened your eyes and turned. You were in a clearing that had no snow whatsoever, and a very green patch of grass was under your feet. You looked around in shocked surprise as you saw Justice come in from the woods, where there were still piles of snow around you. You turned this way and that as Justice dropped some logs on the ground before looking at you, brow raised.

“Something Wrong?” he asked.

_Has he not looked at the ground!?_

“The ground, in the middle of winter...” You trailed off when two grins were sent your way.

“mutt and black helped us out with this little number,” Karma chuckled, heading over to where there was a tent that hadn't been put together yet. “why don't you go sit and let my bro get the fire started, yeah?”

You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “I can help, you know. It's not my first rodeo camping.”

Both of them raised a brow at you, but you didn't back down. It was getting annoying having to keep glancing between the two of them. Justice chuckled and motioned for Karma to move away from the tent.

“Why Don't You Go Collect Firewood, Brother,” he said, pointing toward the woods surrounding you. “I'm Sure We Have Enough, But Just To Be Safe.”

Karma nodded and chuckled, giving you a little wink as he passed you by. You relaxed your stance a little and slid the backpack from your shoulders, letting it fall to the ground gently so you didn't bust your computer. You went over to the tent, your hands working from muscle memory.

You thought of the times you had gone camping with your dad and Papaw and some of your cousins. You had been the only girl there, thus you had gotten your own tent. The memories were the best ones, since you had been able to get out of the house for a weekend. Plus, your cousins, much like Ryder, were always a trip to be around.

Maybe you could call him up and hang out for a few hours one of these days.

“What's So Entertaining?”

You felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as Justice's voice sounded off behind you. You didn't turn as you continued to hammer the spike into the ground, your hand shaking a little as he chuckled.

“Nothing, just some memories,” you said softly.

“Oh? Do Tell, Love,” he murmured.

You felt your eyebrow twitch. You were getting real sick of the way that word seemed to be spat from their teeth. They wanted to know more about you? Then fine, you were going to know more about them, and you'd be damned if they didn't answer you. You'd had enough of these boys – of any of them – avoiding your questions to remain an enigma.

“Later,” you growled. “Leave me to my work and go do something.”

He moved away from you, laughing a little. “You're So Bossy.”

You rolled your eyes as you moved around the tent, making sure the ground beneath was sturdy and that you had the strings taut enough with the spikes driven in as deep as you could make them go. You didn't notice the way Justice's eyelights were following your movements, a smirk on his teeth behind his mask.

He wasn't stupid. He knew you were bound to ask questions about them tonight. He and his brother had agreed to answer with honesty, get you to trust them more. He really was vexed neither of them got to spend much time with you. All those gnats buzzing around the house really got on his last nerve, especially that giant female skeleton.

She had become your personal bodyguard and was always making sure none of the boys were creeping through your room while you were gone. She even had that parasite do it when she wasn't able to. It made the marrow in his bones boil, but he kept his patience. He could be a patient hu – monster. It would just take getting to know you.

And that's what tonight was all about, after all.

Once you were sure the tent was set up, you stood back up, wiping your forehead with the sleeve of your coat. It was a little warmer in this little circle than you had thought. You shucked the coat, unzipping Stretch's hoodie underneath and sighing. Yeah, it was definitely warmer in here. You placed your coat by your backpack as Justice walked around the tent, studying your work.

You rolled your eyes. “Do you approve?” you asked sarcastically.

If he caught onto it, he didn't give any sign. Instead, he just glanced at you and nodded, chuckling as you sat on the ground in front of the fire pit he had dug out. You frowned a little, looking around again.

It really was a nice spot. The snow sparkled in the dying sun above you and you could see the woods around. It contrasted heavily with the green grass under your feet. Which reminded you...

“Just how did you manage this?” you muttered, waving absently at the circle around you. “It's the middle of winter.”

Justice snorted as he finished fixing the wood into something proper for a campfire. There were dry leaves and twigs underneath the larger logs. When he was finished, he brushed his gloves together a couple of times before he glanced at you, eye sockets narrowed some.

“We Had Some Help From A Couple Of The Others,” he simply said.

You didn't like that answer. You glared back at him, narrowing your own eyes.

“Papyrus–”

He was faster than your eyes could see. You didn't see him move as he appeared in front of you not even a second after his name left your mouth. You gasped, almost falling from the log had his hand not been on your arm. Your eyes were wide and you were staring up into large sockets, eyelights flashing at you dangerously.

“Do _Not_ Say Our Names,” he growled at you, his tone dropping several notches.

You swallowed thickly. “O-okay. I'm sorry.”

He studied you for a minute longer close up, his eyelights searching your face as you took in a steadying breath. When he moved back, you let it out, trembling a little. You made a mental note to never call them by Sans and Papyrus.

Which was weird, since all the others seemed to love being called by their given names. You were a little surprised, and now you only had more questions rather than answers. You were chomping at the bit just to get them at this point.

It was silent for a little while even as Karma came back into the clearing. He looked between you and his brother, brow bone raised in curiosity before he shrugged it off, hefting the wood he had piled in his arms next to the log you were sitting on. You watched as he knelt down, taking out something from his pocket. A couple of sticks were put over the tip of the teepee of logs. You raised a brow, scoffing a little.

“That trick never works,” you murmured. “I've tried numerous times.”

Karma only looked over his shoulder to wink at you, Justice laughing a little under his breath. You only huffed at the two of them before watching as Karma started spinning the two sticks against each other. But your eyes widened as you saw the sparks and just how fast he was rubbing the sticks together. You couldn't even keep up!

Within a minute there was fire sparking against the wood. He snapped away from it, grinning and Justice brought out a fan of some sort that made you give them really questioning looks. As he fanned the flames, Karma stood from the ground, wiping the dirt from his bones. You winced against the sound bone on bone made as he came over to you.

Once the flames were high enough, Justice put the fan away, tucking it into the corner of his bag and came over to sit on your other side. You sighed, closing your eyes and slumping a little. Your chest was still hurting, though it wasn't as bad as it had been last night. You still rubbed your hand over your sternum before looking up at the sky.

“It's not even late enough for a fire,” you chuckled.

“Better Safe Than Sorry,” Justice huffed, glancing down at you.

From here, you could definitely make out the purple threads that were weaving through his bones. You were really curious about what was behind that mask, too. Your fingers twitched in your lap, so you gripped the edge of Hunter's hoodie in your fist to stop yourself.

“Do you...guys mind if I ask some questions?” you asked after a few moments of oddly comfortable silence. “I understand if not, but with the guys around all the time, it's hard learning anything about the two of you.”

Karma chuckled as Justice nodded at you. Much like with Crooks, Fresh and Zapfino, you really had to crane your neck to look at him, even sitting down.

“Of Course You Can,” he said simply. “Truthfully, It's Why We've Brought You Out Here.”

“yeah, finally get some fuckin' time with ya,” Karma muttered, a bite of bitterness in his voice.

You sighed through your nose, smiling a little as you reached out to take Karma's hand in yours. You really thought he would pull away, but to your amused surprise, he didn't. He just tilted his head at you, his phalanges rubbing circles gently over your knuckles.

The purple threads on his wrists and socket caught your attention and you had to clench your fist tighter into Hunter's hoodie so you didn't reach out and touch it.

“What's with the threads?” you murmured, almost absently. “I see them more on you than I do Pa – Justice.”

You quickly fixed yourself before his name slipped from your lips again. You thought back to just a little before now, how quick he was to get in your face. Christ on a biscuit, you were really gonna have to think about this before saying their names.

You really didn't like the hostility that came from him before.

Karma hummed, eyelight rolling around in his skull for a moment to look up at the sky. For a second, he seemed...vulnerable. You glanced over to see Justice doing the same thing.

“...our pasts aren't pretty, y/n,” Karma said carefully. “are ya really sure ya wanna know about us this much?”

You didn't hesitate as you nodded firmly. He chuckled, looking back down at you with an easy, if somewhat tense grin.

“believe it or not, i was originally nothing more than a mannequin. wasn't a livin', breathin' being with a soul. doc...doc made me one, gave me life. made me a sentient being.” His teeth curled up on the side without those threads in a sneer. “but from what he said, my body was unstable. something happened with the transfer, so he used these–” he tapped just off to the side of his socket, by the threads there. “–to keep my body stable.”

He was quiet for a moment as you took in the information. Sans had mentioned at one point he had been “born”, which meant he had been birthed from a living being. But Karma...Karma mentioned he was created. Like he was an experiment. The thought made you shiver as Justice cleared his throat.

“I Had A Soul Once,” he sighed. “But I Died. In Simple Terms, I Was A Human, Reanimated By Doc Purely Because He Wanted To. But, Much Like My Brother Here, He Fucked Up My Body As Well.” His gloved hands came to touch his mask. “It's Why I Wear This And These Gloves.”

You kept quiet, eyes wide as you stared at him. Justice...had been human? Since fucking when? Just how old was he? Is that why he didn't shout like a lot of the other Papyri and Papyri personalities? You had so many questions buzzing in the back of your mind, but you let your hand release the hoodie to grab a hold of one of his hands.

“Why do you wear them?” you asked gently. “I bet you look just fine without them.”

You watched in mild consternation as Justice slumped forward, his socket lidding as he stared at the ground. You...you really couldn't believe it. These two were some of the cockiest among the skeletons, and you were watching them deflate like balloons in front of you.

“Because I Know What I _Should_ Look Like,” he snarled quietly, his hands clenching into fists. The one in your hand wasn't too tight, but you gripped it back just as tightly nonetheless. “That... _Bastard_ Ruined Me. Ruined _Us_.”

You winced. He was...self conscious. He didn't like the way he looked, and when he saw Papyrus, or maybe even if he met Paps, he would see who he was supposed to be. What he had been supposed to look like.

“...can I see?” you whispered. “I'd...really like to see you. Not the mask, not the gloves, not the you that you put on for everyone else.” You glanced at Karma, whose socket had widened. “Both of you?”

“my bro's the only one who covers up,” Karma said, glancing behind you at Justice. “i don't really give a fuck.”

You knew that was a lie. You wondered just how salty he really was about it.

You turned back to Justice, seeing he was watching you. His eyelights flicked over your face, as though trying to see if you were really being honest or if you were just waiting for him to open up and mock him and dust him.

When he seemed satisfied, he sighed, taking his hand from yours and turned away from you. You watched as he slowly pulled his gloves off, clacking the bones together before he paused and shook his head, his hands coming up to remove the mask.

But with his back turned, you noticed there were bumps along the back of his shirt. You fought to keep your hands back once more as he turned to you, keeping his eyelights away from your face and laid his hands in his lap.

Claws. Fangs. Much like Red and Mutt. The ones from the harsher universes. You tentatively reached out a hand, waiting for the small head nod, before grabbing onto his hand and moving closer to him. You picked up a hand, running your fingers over the bones. Callous, rough, but still kinda smooth. You let your fingers wander up to the tips of his claws, careful not to prick yourself. You'd had plenty of practice when it came to dealing with Red and the others from the “Fell” universes.

When you looked up at his face, he still wasn't looking at you. But now you were looking at why he was so insecure. His teeth in the front were still like a normal, classic Papyrus, but toward the back, the teeth grew sharper, edgier. You knew without a doubt if he took a bite out of you, you'd lose a chunk of flesh.

“Still look good to me,” you mumbled, smiling as you ran a single finger over one of the fangs, careful to avoid the thread near it.

His eyelights snapped to you. You didn't budge, keeping your smile. You could feel Karma's stare boring a hole in your back and you tightened your grip a little bit. Neither of them said anything for a moment before Justice simply chuckled, taking his hand back. When he went to put his mask back on, you grabbed his ulna without thinking about it.

“Please...don't put it back on,” you said. “I...I really do like the way you look.”

“Alright, Then,” he sighed, placing his gloves and mask on his lap. “What Else Would You Like To Know, Love?”

For fuck's sake, that stupid nickname.

“Why do you guys always sound mocking when you address me?” you groaned. “It was worse when you first showed up, but still!”

Karma laughed now, shaking his head. “'cause that's who we are. we aren't like the others, made up of love, hope and compassion,” he said, tapping the side of his skull. “we're actually made of hate, despair and cruelty. or any variations of those.”

“It's Our First Response To Anything, Even If You Are A 'Romantic Soulmate' As You So Call It,” Justice agreed.

“Well that's bullshit,” you grunted bluntly, causing the two of them to laugh. “Just what was your universe like?”

“truthfully wasn't too bad,” Karma hummed. “pretty nice place to live, but we were pretty poor.”

“Poverty Ridden, You Could Say,” Justice chuckled.

“Do you miss it?”

Justice nodded, his sockets narrowed thoughtfully. “Truthfully A Bit. We Get Along Just Fine With Black And Mutt, For The Most Part. Other Than That, We Don't Really Fit In.”

Karma sighed wistfully. “i really do miss being assholes to everyone back home. was one of our favorite past times.”

You smiled, chuckling a little. “Do you miss anyone back there?”

“Nope.”

“fuck no.”

Their answers were quick. You were a little taken aback, thinking maybe they would at least miss this “Doc” person who... _created_ them. Then again, if someone brought you back to life, or even made you a soul but kept fucking up your body? Yeah, you'd be a little pissed off, too.

You ran your fingers around Karma's wrist, careful to miss the threads. You didn't want to touch them in case something bad would happen. You glanced up to find his eyelight on you, the other socket opening the tiniest bit before settling back where it was.

“Does your other socket even open?” you asked. “I've seen it move like it's trying to, but I've never actually seen you open it before.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “nah, it doesn't. i do have an eyelight in there, though it's usually only one color.”

You squinted for a moment. “That reminds me. The day...the day we were out at the bar and I was singing there. When my...ex showed up. Your eyelight changed color. Can you do more than white and red?”

Justice chuckled behind you as Karma nodded a little. “that's right, love. they change depending on mood. white is more a neutral color. red is anger, like the night of your ex showing up.” He scoffed. “that dumbass really thought he could take ya away.”

You grinned, rolling your eyes. “He had his chance years ago,” you sighed, looking into the fire. After a moment you looked back at him. “What others are there?”

“two others. blue is happiness,” he said, his nasal ridge crinkling as he spoke the last word. “lust is purple.”

You blinked. It took a few moments for you to process that last sentence before your face erupted in a blush that went right to your hairline. Karma cackled like...well, like a demon. He covered his face as his shoulders shook in laughter, Justice behind him laughing just as loud. You shoved him a little with a grunt, turning away from him and huffing through your nose.

It was at that time your stomach gave a little growl. You hadn't eaten since earlier in the morning, and even then you hadn't eaten much. Red's words had dampened your mood quite a bit, and even now you were feeling the ache in your chest at the memory.

It's not like you didn't know they all had people they cared about at home. But to hear put so bluntly just made your whole heart and soul ache. You weren't ready to let them go. Hell, you would probably never be ready to let them go.

“Love?”

You jumped a little, turning to look at Justice. He was glancing at you curiously, his eyelights studying your face. You gave him a reassuring smile.

“I'm alright. I just haven't eaten much since this morning,” you admitted, chuckling.

His brow bones rose and he stood swiftly to his feet. You jumped again as Karma did the same, both of them heading to the edge of the woods. You looked between them with wide eyes as they merely walked away.

“Where are you going?” you demanded after you finally managed to find your voice.

Karma looked over his shoulder at you, saying, “gonna go grab ya food. Gotta eat, love.”

With that, they disappeared before you could say anything else. You could only stare after them before you blew out a breath, and chuckled. The fire was still going strong in front of you. Justice must have added a log while you had been talking with Karma, or while you had been lost in your own little world.

It was peaceful out here. You looked up, seeing the stars popping out of the sky. There was a half moon hanging above you, casting a silvery light into the clearing in front of you. You smiled, looking back down and leaning forward, elbows on your knees and chin in your open palms.

It was really nice out here. You kind of wondered why they chose camping, but it didn't matter to you. You loved camping. You hadn't been able to do it much recently with you trying to avoid your mother and stop digging for information from your family. But regardless, it was nice.

Even if there was white shit all over the ground outside the little magical circle.

They were definitely a lot smarter than they let on. Just talking to them as much as you have in this little amount of time, you could practically smell their smarts on them. They may be cocky at times, but if their knowledge was anything to go by? Well, you could definitely tell the others needed to look out.

You didn't want them to start anything. Speaking of the others...

You brought out your phone before huffing. No service. Well, guess you can't talk to anyone while you wait, but that didn't stop you from opening the music on your phone. Thank God you were able to put downloaded stuff on here. You scrolled through the music before you caught a song that caught your eye. You smiled, pressing play and sighing a little.

“ _Press play on the day that you came into my life, yeah  
Built our eyes on the night  
It was strange, it was paradise, oh,_

“ _'Cause when I look back on it, life like the sonnet  
A quiet kind of solitude  
Tell me how'd you do it, you added the music  
I've never heard a song like you._

“ _'Cause you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything  
Blow my speakers out with you  
Yeah, you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything and I'mma sing along with you  
And if I push the right button, will you show me somethin'?  
Little melody that I can groove to cruisin' with my boombox, baby  
You can say anything  
Blow my speakers out with you  
Yeah you're my boom-boom-boombox, baby.”_

By the time the chorus hit, you were up from the log you were sat one, laughing to yourself and dancing around a little. You shook your hips a little, raising your arms above your head. Your lips were pulled back into a grin as you shook your head side to side, letting your hair swish and move around with you.

It was times like this you really loved.

“ _Press pause just be'Cause all I want is to stay right here  
I want you to spin me round, right round, right round 'til we disappear, yeah _

“ _'Cause when I look back on it, life like the sonnet  
A quiet kind of solitude  
Tell me how'd you do it, you added the music  
I've never heard a song like you _

“ _'Cause you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything  
Blow my speakers out with you  
Yeah, you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything and I'mma sing along with you  
And if I push the right button, will you show me somethin'?  
Little melody that I can groove to cruisin' with my boombox, baby  
You can say anything  
Blow my speakers out with you  
Yeah you're my boom-boom-boombox, baby.”_

You were off in your own little world, moving around and dancing around the fire and the logs. You laughed out loud even with no one present as you shimmied and shook. You bent at the waist and came back up in a quick snap, letting your hips go one way then the other before winking at your nonexistent audience.

You were so consumed with your fun, you didn't notice the eyelights watching you from the trees, a single eyelight switching and fading between white, blue and purple.

“ _You make me wanna move my feet  
Shake, shake my hips, making brand new moves to you  
You make me wanna move my feet  
Shake, shake my hips, making brand new moves to you_

“ _'Cause you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything  
Blow my speakers out with you (blow my speakers out with you)  
Yeah, you're my boombox, baby  
You can sing anything and I'mma sing along with you (I'mma sing along with you)  
And if I push the right button, will you show me somethin'?  
Little melody that I can groove to cruisin' with my boombox, baby  
You can say anything  
Blow my speakers out with you  
Yeah you're my boom-boom-boombox, baby.'_

Your foot stomped down on the final note as you let out a little giggle. But it was cut short, ending on a shriek as there was clapping coming from the woods in front of you. Your heart launched into your throat as you groaned, watching Karma and Justice coming from the trees around you.

You noticed there was a slight tint in Karma's eyelight, but when he glanced at you, it wasn't there. Maybe you had simply imagined it.

They had come back with some hot dogs, which you made sure weren't the water sausages that Sans had pranked you with your first time spending the Fourth of July with him. Hearing a hot dog bark at you was probably one of the most traumatizing experiences you have ever been through.

You collapsed on the log, grabbing your phone and turning the music off as they came to sit in their spots again. Your heart was still racing in your chest as you practically threw your phone in your bag.

“That was so not cool,” you groaned. “That scared the fuck out of me.”

They only laughed again as the three of you made your food. They had brought out handmade skewers, which made a fond smile grow on your face as you shanked a hot dog onto it and held it over the fire.

The three of you spoke quietly as they asked you questions in turn. What were you going to school for, where you had worked previously, where you'd grown up. When they asked about your parents, you had faltered for a moment, hoping they hadn't noticed. Instead, you spoke about your dad. You talked about Mamaw and Papaw.

Too bad they noticed. They really were smarter than you gave them credit for.

After eating, you paused, looking at Karma and squinting. He raised a confused brow bone at you his one cheek puffed out from chewing on a hot dog.

“what?” he managed around a mouthful of food.

“Brother, Manners,” Justice said, glancing at him, sockets narrowed.

Karma only shrugged.

“Nothing,” you finally managed to say when they fell silent. “I just...you must teleport like the boys. I don't think we're anywhere near the house.”

“i wouldn't call it teleportin',” he said after swallowing his food. “ain't got the magic for it. I go through the veil.”

You blinked slowly. “The...Veil? Is it like the Void?”

His sockets squinted as he hummed. “not entirely. i think showin' ya would explain it a little more.”

You sputtered for a moment. “I-I wasn't going to–”

His chuckle cut you off. You felt Justice's eyes on your back as he stood, placing his skewer on the ground and holding out his hand for you. You stared into his eyelight for a moment before carefully, hesitantly, placing your hand in his. His grin widened considerably as he helped haul you to your feet.

His other arm banded itself around your waist and you squeaked a little as you were pulled up against him. Christ, he was huge, too. Your nose was crushed against his sternum as he leaned down over you.

“there are rules, love,” he murmured against your ear. His breath tickled and you felt a little shiver. “stay with me. don't stray. and don't listen to anything you hear in there.”

You didn't get to ask questions as static filled the air, and it felt like you being sucked into a vacuum. It wasn't like the weightless feeling of going through a shortcut with your other boys. The air shifted from warm to cold in an instant and you shivered a little even in Stretch's hoodie.

“you can look now,” he said quietly.

You glanced up – and nearly had a heart attack. Everything around you was bland. Whites, blacks, grays – everything was monochrome. You pushed away slightly to get a better look around and nearly screamed when you saw someone standing in front of you.

They had no discernible features, but they were in the shape of a person. They seemed to be staring at you, watching your movements. There were broken sounds around you, and you gasped as you watched more of these...things come toward you.

Karma's arm tightened around you, his other coming up and threading through your hair, gently placing your face back into his chest. Your grip on his hoodie tightened as the vacuum feeling returned. The sounds of the woods returned, and the warmth seeped into your skin.

You pulled away with wide eyes, glancing between the two of them. They didn't say anything, waiting for you to spit out what you wanted to say. Truthfully it took you a moment, but you breathed out slowly.

“What the fuck was that?” you asked, practically plopping down onto the log again. “That was...”

“that was the veil, love,” Karma said, casually sitting next to you again. “those things you saw were nothing more than lost souls. they might seem innocent, but they'll try and trick ya like the little bastards they are.”

“Lost souls...sounds like purgatory to me,” you murmured.

“That's Kind Of What It's Like,” Justice agreed. “Much Like The Void, The Veil Exists Out Of Reality And Time Doesn't Pass There.”

You blinked slowly at Justice. He only raised a brow bone at you. You knew they were smart, but you didn't think they were this smart. You shook your head for a moment before huffing.

“Okay, so you guys can use magic?” you asked.

Justice shook his head this time. “Absolutely Not. There's A Stipulation To That.”

“Stipulation?”

“we weren't kidding when we told you we were demons, love,” Karma hummed.

“Correct,” Justice said, nodding at his brother. “You See, Where We Come From, Monsters Aren't Born With Magic. The Only Way We Can Use It, Or Have Control Of It, Is Through A Contract With A Mage.”

Karma huffed, sneering a little as he narrowed his socket at the fire, adding another log to it. “stupid fuckin' witches.”

Justice rolled his eyes as you took in the information. So they didn't have magic. That explained a lot, really. But you were still stuck on one thing.

“What's a contract?”

Karma and Justice looked at each other for a second before grinning. You could tell Karma was about to say something but one look from Justice cut him off. He huffed, glaring at the fire while you turned your full attention to Justice.

“Contracts Are Simply What They Sound Like,” he began. “They're Made With Mages, Obviously Being The Beings With The Magic. During A Contract, Our Magic Is Only As Powerful As The Mage's, So If They're A Weak Little Shit, Then So Are We. The Souls Of Monster And Mage Are Linked Through This Contract, So Even If We Wanted To, We Couldn't Lay A Single Harmful Hand On The Mage We're Bound To.”

You took this in, nodding your head along as you spoke. It really did sound simple enough, but you've read enough lore in your life to know things like that aren't so simple. You were chewing on your thumb again as he spoke, and you missed the way his eyelights were watching how your teeth rubbed the skin raw.

“So it's basically a deal,” you murmured, more to yourself than anything. “How...how does one go about it?”

That seemed to pique Karma's interest as he glanced over you. You didn't notice the sly grin as Justice poked at the fire with a skewer, humming before replying to you.

“In Order To Create The Contract, You Need To Have The Proper Means To Summon The Demon You Wish To Have It With,” he said slowly. It didn't sound like he was doing it because he thought you were stupid, but with these two, who knew? “This Involves A Few Things. The Correct Summoning Circle, Candles, And The Sacrifice Of A Heart That Hasn't Ever Known Hatred – Like An Animal Or A Young Child.”

Well, that thought made you sick to your stomach. Who the hell would kill a child or an animal just to summon a demon? Then again, you didn't know their timeline, so for all you knew there were people doing it all the time in their universe.

“There's Also Another Thing You Need,” he continued in a softer voice. He put the skewer down and glanced at you with a grin on his teeth as he leaned down. You swallowed as he stopped next to your ear.

“Our Summoning Names.”

_“WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THEY ALREADY HAD NAMES PICKED OUT!”  
“they're our summoning names, _buddy _.”_

The little flashback was gone in an instant and you looked between the two of them, your head whipping back and forth as you tried to really take in that information. You weren't entirely sure how to go about it now that you knew how serious it was speaking their names. A chill crawled down your spine as Karma wrapped his arm around your shoulders, bringing you against him.

“i coulda just showed ya, love,” he said against your temple.

You cracked a small smile, glancing at him to the side and rolling your eyes. You shoved him away, tutting at him while he and Justice laughed with you. They were filled with complications and you were sure there was more to their universe than they let on. But you got the answers you wanted and you were happy with it.

The night wore on as they continued to talk to you, asking about more of your life and your stories. You shared a few you enjoyed the most, even some that dealt with your boys after moving in with them.

At some point, your back was leaning against Justice, his leg thrown over the log so he was straddling it. After hearing them both make “big dick” jokes and flustering you, you could feel yourself falling asleep. The feeling of Justice's claws in your hair and Karma rubbing your legs and prodding at the flesh there, plus the heat from the fire?

You were out like a light in no time.

Justice and Karma kept it up even after you had fallen asleep. In the quiet that surrounded them, they watched as your chest rose and fell, lashes fluttering against your cheeks. Karma huffed out a laugh and a sigh.

“think the others back home woulda gotten a kick outta th' two of us right now,” he muttered.

“I Told You When We First Got Here It Would Be Interesting,” Justice reminded him softly. “But...I Do Agree She Is An Odd One.”

“she actually accepts it,” Karma said, wonderment in his tone. “i don't know if she's fuckin' crazy, stupid, or both.”

“Neither,” Justice said firmly. “She's Smart.”

Karma didn't say anything, but definitely agreed with his brother. He could hear your heart beating steadily in your chest as you slept. You looked so peaceful, even in the hands of two demon monsters who could easily crush you in physical strength alone. But, in reality, the thought of doing that even made his soul quiver, the pins humming.

They had a silent agreement they would watch over you the rest of the night once they got you into the tent. After all...

Demons didn't need sleep.

–

When you awoke, sunlight was streaming through the thin material of the tent. You blinked slowly, raising your hands to rub the sleep from your eyes. When you lowered your hands, you noticed you were alone. You frowned a little moved out of the nest you had found yourself in. When did you go into the tent?

You unzipped the tent flap, crawling out of it and yawning as you stood, stretching your arms over your head. You were still wearing Stretch's hoodie...and nothing else. Where the hell did your pants go? Did you kick them off in your sleep again?

“morning, pumpkin.”

You jumped and turned to see Karma sitting on the log from last night. He waved and you walked over, making sure to tug the end's of Stretch's hoodie to keep everything at least somewhat decent. You went to sit next to him, but he snagged your waist, bringing you into his lap. You squeaked, a blush blooming over your face as you tried to think of what was going on.

You caught the name change as soon as he said it. You didn't get to ask anything though as Justice came over, handing you a paper plate. There were eggs and bacon on it, still steaming as though just coming off of the heat.

“We Heard You Stirring, So I Took Some Time To Make You A Little Something,” he said, running a gloved hand through your hair. “Eat Up, Apple. I'm Going To Pack Everything Up.”

You nodded absently as Karma kept you in his lap. He changed his nickname for you, too. You felt something blossom in your chest and you smiled warmly as you shoved a forkful of eggs in your mouth.

Christ, they were so good. You slowly ate the entire plate, wishing for some coffee, but you weren't going to complain. You were getting morning snuggles, breakfast, and nickname changes. What more could you ask for?

Once everything was packed up and you were finished with breakfast, you put on your pants again. You grabbed your coat, throwing it on and hefting your bag over your shoulder. Once you were ready, you turned to let them know you were ready to leave.

But you were met, instead with a pin being shoved in your direction. You paused, looking at it then the two of them. Then once more at the pin. It was a simple little thing, with a bulbous red grip at the top of it. You looked at them again and they merely grinned at you. You noticed Justice had his gloves and mask back on.

“this is a special pin,” he said before you could ask. “it's not just some random pin you can find on the streets. This one is combined from two others. One from each of our souls.”

Your eyes widened and you opened and closed your mouth as he came closer, kneeling on one knee in front of you. It took a few tries and curses on your end, but after poking and shanking you enough, he finally managed to weave the pin the denim of your pants. He stood back up as you looked between the two of them.

“Y-your souls? Have pins?” you asked, confused.

“Another Story For Another Day,” Justice said before you could continue. “But As For That One, It's Our Way Of Looking Out For You.”

“that's right, pumpkin,” he said, tweaking your nose a little. “this pin, like i said, is a combination of his and mine. if you find yourself in trouble and can't get out of it, or can't find your phone or get to that, flick the metal of the pin.”

“...flick it?”

“That's Right. It's An Instant Call For Us,” Justice said. “We'll Be Able To Feel The Vibrations And Be Able To Find You Using It.”

“That's...pretty sweet, I'm not even gonna lie.”

They chuckled and they held out their hands.

“let's getcha home.”

“Come Along, Apple.”

You didn't hesitate to take their hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justice: _explaining how contracts work_  
>  Karma: i could just showed you. (;
> 
> ...
> 
> Readz: _nodding along_ Ahh, this is what Mamaw warned me about  
> Readz: This why we weren't allowed to have Ouiji boards.
> 
> _Justice and Karma pouting_


	41. Goodbyes Aren't Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue takes you out.  
> You learn something new.  
> And you learn you really don't want to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am apologizing ahead of time for the fact that I am going to tear out your hearts and proceed to stomp on them. But, well, plot.
> 
> So without further ado, let's get this started.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> [Garbage Dump](https://lollipopskele.tumblr.com)
> 
> Great Reads:  
> [I Have The Power of Gaster AND Anime On My Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21346585/chapters/50842786) by [littlexsiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlexsiren/pseuds/littlexsiren)
> 
> [Our Place Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845772/chapters/34364546) by [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nascent/pseuds/Nascent)
> 
> Collab:  
> [When Darkness Falls](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789688/chapters/51994363) by Siren and myself.
> 
> ASoF Discord:  
> [The ~~Cult~~ Family](https://discord.gg/dKXhaQX)

The weeks following your little camping trip with Karma and Justice were stress filled. You were juggling school, talking to your father about upcoming plans for his birthday, and trying and make sure you had enough time with the boys.

You had returned home from the camping trip with all the boys at the ready with magic. The worst had been Zapfino. She hadn't tried to impale them with bones, but she had definitely been ready to throw them through the windows. You had panicked and told them to knock it off.

Once it was proven you weren't broken and had come back just fine, everyone had settled somewhat. They definitely weren't happy when you had taken Justice's hand and gave it a squeeze and even giggled when Karma gave you a swift kiss on the cheek. Your face was red by the time you had managed to make it into the house.

You trudged home now, yawning as lugged your books with you. Christ, you shouldn't need so many of them. Was this really what the next few years were going to be like? Since you were aiming for your PhD, the max amount of years you were facing would be six.

You weren't looking forward to them as much as you thought you would.

You passed by your old job, pausing to take a look. Your old manager was manning the front with a wide grin on her face. The ring she had worn when she fired you was still on her finger, taunting you now as you sneered a little.

You weren't looking forward to potentially seeing your mother. Apparently, she was giving your dad a whole bunch of grief about this divorce, and was refusing to leave. She wanted to stay and just live in separate areas of the house. The two of you were growing exasperated whenever she caught wind that you were on the phone with him.

“Y/N?”

You jumped, moving away from the window of the coffee shop and turning to see Blueberry standing there, his head tilted a little. Bright, cyan eyes looked up at you and you could only smile back down at him.

“Hey, Blue. What are you doing here?” you asked softly.

He glanced between you and the coffee shop before grinning widely. “I WAS COMING TO SEE WHERE YOU WERE, BUT I THINK I SEE WHY NOW!”

You sighed, nodding. “Yeah, I was at the bookshop on campus. Had to get new books for the semester and I had been putting it off. Plus, Sans found out I hadn't gotten the money yet, so he gave me a few bucks to help out.”

He nodded and held a hand. “WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT TOO BUSY, I'D LOVE TO TAKE YOU OUT ON AN IMPROMPTU DATE TODAY!”

You looked at the strap of your bag on your shoulder before looking at him again. “Uh, sure. Can we run home so I can get this off? It's really heavy and I keep having to switch shoulders since it hurts.”

He gasped. “I CAN CARRY IT FOR YOU!” he said quickly, moving to grab the bag from you. “IT'S NOT A PROBLEM FOR THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE!”

With the weight of the bag off your shoulders, you groaned, rolling them for a couple of seconds before he took your hand and led you right inside your old workplace. You looked at him like he was a mad man but he winked at you and tightened his grip a little.

“Trust Me, Muffin,” he said quietly.

You could only nod as he led you up to the counter. When the manager turned around and went to greet you, she froze. Her eyes widened a little as Blueberry wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you in close to him, nuzzling your cheek as you tried avoiding eye contact.

“H-hi, how can I help you?” she stammered, looking between the two of you.

“I'll Just Take A Black Coffee, Please,” Blue said, still nuzzling your cheek while glancing at the woman from the corner of his socket. “And A Croissant, Please.”

“Absolutely,” she said, her voice still shaky. She looked at you. “A-and for you?”

You rattled off what you wanted, your hands tightening on Blue's shirt. Once it was totaled, Blue brought out his wallet and swiped his card, still keeping a hold of you. Once he had his receipt, he took the two of you to a table by the window. You were shaking a little as you sat down. He put your backpack on the back of his chair and sat across from you, taking your hands in his and bringing them up to his teeth.

He gave each of your knuckles a little kiss, which gradually brought a smile to your lips. His eyelights were shining up at you with joy as he pulled back, but kept your hands joined.

“You Okay?” he asked gently.

“I'm...it just feels weird being back in here,” you said, glancing out the window for a moment before looking at him again. “I haven't stepped back in here since she let me go.”

His face darkened for a split second before he shook his head, his grin easy as his gloved phalanges stroked over your knuckles.

“I Understand,” he said, chuckling. “I Had To Keep Papy – Stretch From Coming Here And Tearing Into Them About Letting You Go.”

You blinked in shock. “He – what?”

His grin stretched a little wider as he paused, glancing to the side right as an old coworker came over with your guys' stuff, setting it down in front of you. You smiled up at her. She hadn't done anything wrong, and you really missed this coworker. She was always getting the short end of the stick with some of the others in here.

“Sorry about...her,” your ex coworker said quietly. “We haven't seen you since you left and none of us have really been too kind on her about what she did.”

You smiled up at her. “It's alright. I found something better.”

She smiled at you, bringing the tray up and hugging it to her chest while nodding. “Good,” she said before turning and scurrying off to the back.

You smiled at her retreating back as you looked back to your bondmate. Stars were back in his sockets as he watched you interacting with your old coworker and you chuckled.

“So why the impromptu date?” you asked softly.

“Some Of The Others Have Already Gotten to Have Some One On One Time With You, So I Thought It Was My Turn,” he said, shrugging. “Plus, This Is My Time To Be Able To Get To Know You A Little More And You Can Learn About The Magnificent Sans!”

You smiled as he took his hands from yours to puff out his chest, holding one hand against it as he beamed in pride. Stars, he was just so cute.

You picked up your drink, opening the tab in the lid and blowing the steam away before taking a cautious sip. You blinked in surprise when you pulled back; it was a lot cooler than you had been expecting. Which could only mean they had done the same thing you used to do when you worked here and put a couple of ice cubes in there.

Your heart warmed at the thought.

Once the two of you had settled a little more, you glanced out at the snow. It was coming down a little now, sticking to the window for only a second before melting away. The weather had definitely been getting colder, and you could see that Valentine's Day was almost here. The proof was all over the stores and even in school.

You were never really one for the holiday yourself. If you loved someone, you were gonna prove that any time of the year, not just on that one specific day.

“The Snow Always Makes Me Reminiscent,” Blue murmured across from you.

You looked over at him, tilted head. “I know this universe's Sans and Papyrus used to live in a place called Snowdin. Was it the same for you?”

He nodded absently, still watching the snow fall to the ground. “Mhm. Papy And I Grew Up In Snowdin. I Think It's A Common Theme With Sans And Papyri. But Our Timeline Is Also Considered A 'Swap' Universe,” he hummed.

“I remember reading that,” you said softly, wracking your brain. “It said something that everyone was switched there.”

“That's Right,” he said, turning back to you with a grin. “Papy And Myself. Grillby And Muffet. Toriel And Asgore. Monster Kid And Asriel. Frisk And Chara.”

You tried imagining Grillby wearing a frilly apron baking cookies and busted into loud laughter. Blue's grinned softened at the tone. It took you a moment to calm down, but once you did, you took a long sip of your drink before putting it back down and sighing.

“So...coming here must have been a helluva culture shock?” you asked.

His sockets lidded for a moment. “It Was. It Took Both Papy And I Quite A Bit Of Time to Adjust. We've Been Here Three And A Half Years And Somehow We Still Have Issues.” He looked up at you as his sockets opened a little more. “Classic Tries To Help, But It's A Lot Harder When Chara Is Often Looked Down On Here.”

“If I'm remembering facts correctly,” you hummed, squinting as you tried to dig for information in your head, “then that would mean Chara was the one who freed you guys from Ebott?”

“Precisely!” he exclaimed, taking a bite of his croissant. “It Wasn't An Easy Road, Unfortunately.”

“Why not?” you asked, scowling a little.

He shifted uncomfortably now, glancing away from you. He was watching the snow again as it started sticking a little more, gathering at the bottom of the windows and the edges of the sidewalks. People were burying themselves in their scarves and coats as they made their way to their destinations.

“I Don't Know How Much Classic Told You About What Happened Underground, Or If Any Of The Others Did,” he said carefully, quietly, “And Judging By Your Look, It's Not Been Much, If Anything At All. That's For Him To Tell You. But It's Weird Seeing Your Brother Be Killed In Front Of You And Having To Take His Place As The Judge.”

You blinked, reeling back. He had thrown that in so casually, you thought you were hearing things. But from his solemn look, he wasn't kidding. The words he had said actually left his teeth. You were put off for a moment, trying to think of something to say after that.

But what the fuck could you say?

It took you a moment to find your words, but you took a bite of your food before blinking a couple times and sighing.

“What's...what do you mean having to take his place?” you asked softly. “As the 'Judge'? Zapfino mentioned something similar when she was talking to me about her story, but she never went into detail.”

Blue was already shaking his head before you finished speaking. “I Don't Know Much About It Myself. You'd Have To Ask The Sans And The Sans Personalities. They Would Know More About It.”

You could only nod. Through his usual cheerful facade, you could see the bags under his sockets. They reminded you of Sans's when he'd had a nightmare. He would have one nightmare, and proceed to throw himself into his work and not sleep for days at a time. It was worrisome, and you could see Blue was going through something similar.

You reached over to grip his hand in yours. When he blinked and looked at you, you simply smiled and brought his hand up to copy what he had done before, pressing your lips to his gloved hand. He seemed taken aback as you looked up at him again.

“That's fine. Let's get off the heavy topics,” you said, smiling a little.

And that was that. His entire demeanor changed with your smile and you couldn't help but feel a little more at ease as he started talking about his own Underground. Your hands stayed linked the entire time, even as the two of you ate your food.

He was talking about something to do with birthdays, and you perked up a little.

“When I first came to the house, Red mentioned that you were the same age as them,” you said, leaning forward. “Does that mean all the Sans and Papyri share birthdays?”

He chuckled. “No, Actually. We All Have Separate Birthdays, But We Were Born The Same Years,” he explained. “For Example, Classic's Birthday Is In October. Mine Is In May.”

You nodded along. “So then Stretch and Papyrus each have their own birthdays.”

“That's Right, Muffin!” he said, grinning. “Popular Belief Is That Because We're All The Same Person, We Must Have The Same Birthday.”

You leaned on the table with your elbow, giggling at the stern look he was giving you. He tried nudging your elbow off the table, but you kept moving it back, or keeping it in place as best as you could. You missed the way the cyan eyelights flashed a deeper blue before changing back into their usual bright color.

“Would You Please Get Your Arm Off The Table, Muffin?” he asked, gaze locking with yours. “It Is Quite Rude.”

Oh, his voice dropped. You felt a shiver crawl up your spine as you slowly did as he asked, gulping a little. He smiled easily, but you noticed there was a predatory look in his eyelights that you hadn't seen there before.

What was with your soft skeletons acting like this!? This was not allowed! It was going to ruin you!

“S-sorry,” you stammered.

He shrugged it off and his voice changed back to where it was as he asked, “When Is Your Birthday, Muffin?”

“September,” you said, wincing a little. “I...I don't usually celebrate my birthday.”

He was quiet for a minute, his head tilted to the side. He shook his head and took your hand again, smiling at you with stars in his sockets.

“That's Fine,” he said. “We'll Still Do Something, But It Doesn't Have To Be A Celebration.”

You nodded, a little thankful he understood. Now that he mentioned it, you didn't know any of their birthdays except for Sans and Papyrus's. And they never mentioned anything about them. And you knew with as many skeletons – and humans – you were surrounded by, at least everyone month had one or two birthdays in it.

The rest of the date wore on. You were having fun teasing him by placing your elbow on the table or wiping your mouth with your hands or something like that. He didn't really seem mad, but he definitely seemed contemplative about something.

Once everything was done and you two were ready to go, you bundled up again, wishing silently you could be a skeleton, too. It must be nice to not have to worry about heavy weather changes. Blue continued carrying your bag as the two of you left the shop and started your trek toward the house.

His hand was gripped in yours, intertwined and swinging between the two of you. You smiled as the two of you kept talking. You were telling him about a high school friend you fell out with when you made it to the end of the drive. The two of you were walking up to the door, and your hand was closing around the handle.

But you were stopped. You squeaked as with precise and quick movements, your back was pressed against the side of the house, hands pinned by your head. You looked at Blue with wide eyes, blinking quickly a couple of times as he leaned in close.

“Remember One Thing, Muffin,” he said quietly, his teeth brushing your ear. “When I Tell You To Do Something, I Expect It To Be Done.”

Bells were going off in your head – and then you were silenced as he pressed his teeth to your mouth. You gasped against him, immediately rolling your body forward to get closer to him. He hummed against your lips, one hand trailing down your arm before gripping you tightly by the chin. Your mouth fell open in shock as something tingly slid along your lower lip.

You were helpless as your tongue tangled with his. The taste of blueberries was as thick on your taste buds as the smell of sandalwood surrounding you. It was intoxicating as your free hand now came to grip onto his bandanna, shivers running along your body.

You bit back a whine as he pulled away. Your eyes opened and you sucked in a deep breath, your eyes moving to lock gazes with Blue. He didn't even look fazed as he grinned down at you, his eyelights flashing a deeper blue before turning back to their normal color.

“That's Your Only Reminder,” he whispered to you before he pulled away.

The door opened right on cue and you managed to move away from the door and straighten your clothes as Stretch came out, running a hand down his face. He looked like hell and his clothes were wrinkled. You would be a year's worth of your paycheck that he slept in the lab.

When he turned and saw the two of you, he smirked, chuckling before waving the two of you inside. You scurried in, red faced and passed everyone with a small wave. You headed up the stairs and up to the third floor. As you entered your room, you paused, cursing a little.

Blue still had your bag.

You groaned and plopped face first into your bed. You bounced a couple of times and you sighed lowly, hefting yourself onto your back to stare at the ceiling. Your legs swung a little since they didn't touch the floor as you slowly reached up to take your hat off.

Your lips still tingled and you traced a finger over them. Blue had definitely dropped the “innocent” facade with you, and you were wondering just what kinda monster he was. The thought alone made a shiver inch up your spine. And you couldn't exactly say it was an unwelcome one.

You sighed again, sitting up and getting off the bed. You were cold; you just wanted a warm shower before doing anything else and dealing with the others.

So that's exactly what you did. You took off all your winter stuff, hanging it in the closet and grabbing a pair of pajamas and a new pair of underwear. You pulled out some fuzzy socks and smiled, remembering the way Galaxy had glowed like the night sky when he gave them to you. You could only giggle now like you did then, closing your drawer and heading for your bathroom.

Your shower was absolutely heavenly. You groaned as the water hit your back, rolling your shoulders as you double checked your hair was off your neck as best as you could get it. You really should look into getting a back massage. Everything hurt from having to carry all those books, not to mention the constant lifting at work with the boxes in the back.

Silk and satin may not be heavy separately, but they definitely weigh a shit ton in bulk.

Once you were done with your shower you got dressed again and took your hair down to run your brush through it. Once that was settled, you made your way from the bathroom, stretching your arms over your head and sighing.

You were actually fairly surprised to see no skeletons in your room this time around. You were a little disappointed, but shook it off as you grabbed Stretch's hoodie, wringing the fabric in your hands. You glanced at the door, chewing on your lip.

You really weren't ready to see Red. You had been avoiding him as best as you could, with everything going on and trying to decide what to do with the newest additions to the shit show.

You settled a hand over your sternum as you sat on your bed, clutching your shirt in your hand for a minute. It wasn't hurting as bad, but there were times where you couldn't sleep because of how much it hurt. The last couple of weeks had been harder since you had been avoiding Red like he carried the Bubonic plague.

You sighed, letting out the breath you had been holding and stood. You made your way to the door and swung it open, heading from your room and going to the second floor. You passed a few of the rooms, noting that Sans's office door was closed for once. You didn't pay it any mind as you stopped at Stretch's door, knocking three times.

“who's there?”

You squinted, a small grin on your lips as you sighed dramatically. After thinking for a second, you let out a silent chuckle.

“Adore.”

“adore who?”

“ _Adore_ is between us, so please open up.”

His chuckles were deep and soothing. There was some shuffling heard behind the door before he opened it up, waving you into his room. You went inside, thankful to be out of the open. The only light in his room was his lamp on the bedside table. You turned to him as he went to close the door.

“Ah, can't stay,” you said, holding up a finger. “I wanna go get to know those new boys. Haven't really had the chance yet.”

He looked at you curiously, nodding and leaving the door in favor of coming over to you and wrapping you in a hug. You nuzzled against his sternum. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your head before he moved away, grabbing his hoodie from your grip.

“or do you just not want to chance running into red?” he asked quietly, eyelights glancing to the open door.

You shrugged, looking away. Neither of you said anything and he sighed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to your lips before pressing another to your cheek.

“raven and cardinal are probably near a window somewhere,” he told you quietly. “i'd check their room first; they don't seem real sociable.”

You nodded, giving his cheek a pat before you made your way from your room. You were heading back up to the third floor, passing some of the rooms before you stopped in front of the one that had a little white board on it, the names “Raven” and “Cardinal” scribbled lazily on it.

Sans and you had decided a few days ago to give the new boys a white board each. Until they either made the room theirs permanently or decided on where they wanted to go. You knocked on the door and waited, rocking back and forth on your heels as you heard shuffling inside.

The door swung open, revealing a tired looking Raven. His wings were gently tucked against his sides and his goggles were still on his skull. He blinked slowly at you before stepping aside, waving you in with a hand. You waited a beat before coming in, ducking your head somewhat as you passed him.

“SANS? WHO IS IT?”

“think it's the bondmate, bro,” Raven said, yawning as he shut the door again and went to the bed.

You looked over to see Cardinal leaning against the window, staring outside into the snow. His wings were tucked at his sides as well, but his were twitching, as though they wanted to expand so he could fly off into the sky. You felt bad, but you didn't know what more you could do. Could they stand the cold like some of the others?

“I'm sorry you guys are stuck in here,” you finally said after a moment. “It must be driving you crazy.”

“mm, not really me as much as it does my bro,” Raven said, opening a socket to peer at you. He patted the spot next to him lazily and you went to sit on the bed next to him. “but having the choice taken is kind of a drag.”

“I WOULDN'T MIND IT MUCH IF I AT LEAST HAD THE OPTION TO FLY OVER THE TREES!” Cardinal added as you looked over to him. “BUT THE OTHER VERSION OF MY BROTHER TOLD US WE HAD TO STAY INSIDE FOR NOW!”

You nodded. “I think he's just observing and making sure you guys aren't gonna cause any kind of problems,” you murmured. “I don't think you will, but what do I know?”

They were quiet for a moment as they studied you. Raven sat up slowly, grunting with effort and stretching his arms over his head. He looked over at you with a tilted head, eyelights roaming over your face before he huffed a little.

“so what's the deal around here?” he asked finally. “seems like classic me has a stick up the coccyx and another version – g, i think his name was? – didn't seem happy he was messing around with that machine.”

You blew out a breath, letting them in on everything that was relevant thus far. Cardinal drifted over from the window to sit on the bed as well, crossing his legs under him and letting his wings continue to twitch. You told them everything you could think of, even including some of the funny and good times you had while you'd been around. You did include learning about the alternate universes, which made Raven snort.

“i think just about any sans, or the sans type of personality, knows about the alternate universes,” he said, adjusting his goggles. “though if what you're saying is true, then axe would probably have a hard time remembering it.”

You nodded sadly. “He does. He hates that he can't remember, but he tries to not let it get to him.”

“THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN A WONDERFUL BONDMATE TO THEM!” Cardinal said happily, his wings fluttering behind him. Then he frowned. “Though I Have Met This 'Crooks' Version Of Myself, And I Must Say I Don't Like The Name.”

You fidgeted. You didn't either, but he never seemed displeased with the name. Then again, you never even asked if he was okay with having that kind of name. You knew the name derived from his teeth, and the thought made you wince. Maybe you could set up an appointment for him? Get his teeth fixed. And maybe glasses?

You were gonna have a talk with Sans, that's for sure.

“I didn't really mind it,” you admitted sadly. “Maybe I shouldn't have been, knowing where the moniker came from. But maybe it would be fair to ask him if he would like a different name. Axe loves his name.”

“well, when you're the butcher of snowdin, and your main weapon is the axe, i would imagine i'd be the same,” Raven chuckled.

“So...what was your guys' universe like?” you asked.

“free,” Raven scoffed under his breath.

Cardinal shot him a look before turning to you, his expression softening. “FREE IS CORRECT. EVERYONE THERE WAS LIKE A BIRD. WE COULD FLY AND ENJOY OURSELVES. OUR HUMAN FRIEND LOVED FLYING WITH US!”

You blinked in surprise. “Did they have wings, too?”

Raven shook his head. “nah, they usually hitched a ride with paps or myself. sometimes on of the others.”

“Huh. That's pretty cool,” you said. “What's it like? Having wings?”

“get us out of this house, and we can show ya,” Raven said, winking.

You rolled your eyes as Cardinal shook his head. The three of you talked a little longer, sharing stories and asking questions. You told them about yourself, like your love of dancing and singing. They told you more about their universe, what it was like being underground for them. It saddened you they had made it to the surface not long before being dragged here, but you were determined to make it the best experience you could for them.

It was getting late into the evening when there was a knock on the door. You got up from your spot on Raven's lap, chuckling at his little huff. You went to the door and opened it, seeing G standing there grinning down at you. You smiled up at him as he leaned against the door frame.

“dinner's ready, angel,” he said, motioning to the stairs with his head.

“Alright,” you said, his hand sliding in yours. You turned to the other two, smiling a little wider. “Coming?”

They only nodded, climbing off the bed and following after you. The four of you made your way downstairs as you spoke to G about how your date went with Blue. He listened, smiling and nodding along.

When you made it to the dining room, you froze, your eyes spotting Red almost immediately. His words came back to haunt you, settling in the back of your mind like an infectious disease. You moved your gaze away form him, going silent as G led you into the room and sat you down in one of the chairs away from Red.

“don't worry, angel,” he murmured against your temple, “guaranteed he won't stay down here. he's been avoiding you as much as you've been avoiding him.”

Just as you turned your head to face G, Red vanished with a plate of food. You turned again to look back to where he had been standing, frowning. You two really needed to sit down and talk this out. While you were upset with what he said, you weren't really mad. He was right; there were people they all wanted to get back to.

You sighed, slumping in your seat as G pressed a kiss to your temple and moved away. Raven and Cardinal sat beside you for dinner as it was brought out. While the food tasted good, you still had one thing weighing on your mind and you scowled.

“what did the green beans to do you?” Serif asked, causing you to jump.

Everyone was watching you. You fidgeted a little in your seat, sighing and putting your fork down. Blue's eyelights were roaming over your features and he seemed to understand as he went back to his own food.

“I...well, Blue and I went on a date earlier,” you said, rubbing your neck. “And he said something I can't seem to ignore.”

Sans and Stretch shared a look as Pup looked at you curiously. Raven stiffened next to you and you glanced over at him, placing a hand on his arm as the others looked at you.

“what's on your mind?” Sans asked.

“Well, he mentioned that...” You swallowed. “He mentioned something about being the Judge.”

All heads snapped to Blue, who just continued eating. He glanced up, raising a brow bone as his classic counterpart before he swallowed his food and pointed his fork at him, glaring a little.

“SHE HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW,” Blue said. “YOU HAVEN'T SEEMED TO HAVE TOLD HER ANYTHING THAT WENT ON UNDERGROUND, AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND YOUR HESITANCE, SANS, YOU NEED TO TELL HER SOMETHING! IT'S NOT FAIR TO KEEP YOUR BONDMATE IN THE DARK ABOUT SUCH THINGS!”

“I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIM,” Tango piped in. “WHILE I CAN GET WHY YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO, I FEEL LIKE SHE DESERVES TO KNOW.”

The table went quiet again as you looked at all of them. Most of the Papyri and the Papyri personalities looked angry, if not uncomfortable. Sans and Edge were glaring at each other while Stretch was just staring in shock at his own brother. Papyrus looked ready to stand up and defuse any situation that came from the outbursts.

“it's a curse,” Serif said, his voice snappish. “the role of the judge is a curse. nothing good can ever come from it.”

“he's not entirely wrong,” Stretch murmured.

“What is it?” you asked quietly, nervous for the answer.

“we judge someone on their lv,” Sans said curtly, still holding Edge's glare. “we can see a human's soul even without having to take it out. we can see all the sins of that person. all their wrongs done through their lifetime up until that point.”

“underground, being the judge would also mean to exact punishment, much like an executioner,” Raven murmured.

“What Blue Was Speaking Of Was When Our Brother's Would Intervene,” Edge said, breaking eye contact from Sans to look at you. “It Happened A Few Times With Red And Myself. The Memories Are Hazy, But They're Still There.”

“Serif And I Went Through It As Well,” Tango said, using his fork to push his food around on his plate. “The Run Before We Came Here, Serif Jumped In Front Of Me As The Human Came At Me With A Knife.” His head lifted, pinning you with a neutral stare. “I Watched My Brother Die In Front Of Me, Dusting And Scattering In The Wind. I Watched The Same Thing My Brother Did, Over And Over Again. In The Judgment Hall, It Wasn't My Brother They Faced, But Me In His Stead.”

The shivers you felt crawling up your spine felt like slimy little snakes. Your grip on your fork tightened and you blew out a breath through your nose as everyone gauged your reaction. But, like you had thought with Blue, just how the hell were you supposed to react? They basically just told you that not only did your lazier boys dust and die, but so did your more exuberant and sprightly boys.

The thought made you want to vomit.

You reined yourself in and you looked at each of them. You just had to remember they were here, with you. They were safe. Serif and Tango weren't in a repeating genocide. Sans and Papyrus were eating at the dinner table. Red was upstairs eating and moping while Edge was down here eating his own food. Stretch and Blue were right there staring at each other.

Christ, what did the others go through?

You didn't say anything more about it, and neither did they. The rest of dinner was sat in near silence, the only noise coming from the sound of metal hitting ceramic. Your mind was foggy, and your heart felt heavy in your chest. But not as bad as your soul felt.

As you thought about it, you scowled a little more, brow furrowing. No, there was definitely an ache there that hadn't been there a bit ago. You were trying to figure out why you felt like this when the boys suddenly looked up, each of their eyelights flaring with magic.

The magic was thick in the air around you as you glanced around, hand clutching your shirt above your sternum as you followed their gazes. There were two more skeletons standing in the hallway between the dining room and the living room. But you stood up, your heart dropping to the floor as you took them in.

You knew them.

Well, you didn't know them. But you'd heard so much about them that you felt like you did. The giant paintbrush, the baggy pants, the half long sleeved shirt over the white shirt. The bandoleer of vials across his body. The ink stain and the changing eyelights. The error messages flashing. Red sockets with mismatched eyes. Black, red and yellow bones. Negative looking clothing. How _big_ they were.

You felt sick.

“Ink. Error.” Your voice came out in a whisper, cracking as tears gathered in your eyes.

They both looked at you, Ink blinking slowly. He didn't say anything, but Error seemed to puff up as he took in the skeletons around you.

“$o th!-is 1s wh3-ere y0u 4ll w3nt,” he muttered, glancing around. “y0-our d!-ime3nsion's ver$ion 0f u5 h4-as b3en lo0k!ng 3verywh3-ere.”

Edge scowled as the others stood. Your shoulders slumped. You knew what this meant, and you sighed, gripping your shirt tighter.

“I'll...get a hold of them,” you said quietly.

You ran from the room and to the stairs, taking them two at a time to grab your phone. Your soul and heart both felt heavy, and you felt like you were going to be sick. Knowing that these two were here only meant one thing.

Zapfino and Fresh were going home.

Your gut twisted as you made it to your room, grabbing your phone with shaking hands and unlocking it, sending a message to Zapfino and Fresh that they needed to come to the main house immediately. You pressed send and a little sob escaped your throat. You covered your mouth with your hand as another came through, tears already streaking down your face.

You leaned against the wall, your back sliding as you went down to the floor. You landed with a soft thump. Your body was curling in on itself as you saw a pair of sneakers in front of you. You looked up, red eyelights staring at you underneath a fluffy hood. Another choked sob broke through your clenched teeth.

Red sat next to you, tense and bringing his knees up to his chest. You didn't even hesitate as you moved in front of him, and you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. You buried your face there as you cried, your soul tugging and yanking around as he held you tight against him.

“I-I don't want them to go,” you whispered.

“i know, kitten,” he said softly.

“I'm still upset with you.”

“that's fine.”

“Please don't leave...”

The both of you knew what you had meant. He didn't say anything as he held you tighter.

The two of you sat like that as you cried, slowly calming down. Your heart was hammering in your chest and when you pulled away, you took his cheeks in your hands, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his nasal ridge. A flush of red glittered along his cheeks and you couldn't help the small, sad smile.

“time to go say goodbye, kitten,” he said after a moment. “ya ready?”

“No,” you admitted. “But I know it needs to be done.”

He only nodded curtly, helping the both of you stand up. Once you were steady on your feet, he helped you shuffle from your room and led you back down the stairs. Once back on the first floor, you watched as Zapfino stepped away from her brother in laws and rushed over to you.

You were taken aback as Zapfino hugged you close to her, bringing you off your feet. You instantly wrapped your arms around her shoulders, locking your hands at the back of your neck. No one spoke, and you noticed that the boys from the cottages nearby had come to see the commotion. Your eyes were watering again and you buried your face in the crook of her spine, your body shaking with held back tears.

“I don't want you to go,” you whispered.

“I know, sweet pea,” she whispered back to you. “But it'll be okay. I promise.”

Fresh stood beside the two of you. Ink and Error slowly tried coming closer, but they were blocked off by your other bondmates. While they didn't like the female skeleton, she had proven to them she cared about you deeply. And in their book, that's all they could ask for. Watching you cry like this was tearing them apart inside.

“we may have a solution where she won't be completely gone from your life,” Ink suddenly spoke up. “that's another thing we wanted to talk to you about.”

Sniffling, you pulled away from Zapfino only to be pulled into Fresh's embrace. Error was looking between the two of you with curiosity, but said nothing as Fresh moved the two of you so you were back to sternum, his arms over your shoulders. Zapfino stood close, keeping your hand in hers.

“z here told us what you've done for her while she's been here,” Ink said, fiddling with a vial in his bandoleer. “and i can't thank you enough. but...while she does have to come home with us, i feel like there might be a solution.”

“what are you thinking?” G asked.

“wh1-ile tr4ver5ing l0-ookin9 for th3se tw0,” Error said now, “y0-our ver$-sion5 0f u$-s m3nt10ned th4t th3 t!melin3-es w3-ere...fr0-ozen.”

“Frozen?” you parroted.

“that's right, bud,” Ink said, nodding. “everyone who got sent here, their timelines are frozen. no one has moved in years.”

That seemed to be news to the others. There were looks of shock on all of their faces and you took in Axe's look of...joy? Victory? Whatever it was, it was gone almost a second later. You looked back to Ink and Error, watching as the latter stuck his hands in his pockets.

“z and fresh here didn't really count,” Ink said, his eyelights locking with you. “but i figure there might be a way to either keep your lot here, or be able to actually go see them when they are inevitably sent home.”

You blinked slowly as the information slowly registered with you. Fresh rumbled behind you, as though he was purring or growling. You weren't sure which one it was, but regardless, your hands twitched as you took a look at the faces around, thinking to the faces that weren't here.

“If What You're Saying Is True,” Black said, his hip poking out to the side, “Then She Would Be Able To See Us In Our Own Universes?”

_“Come Back With Me. To My Timeline. To My Universe.”_

Black's words rang in your head and you snapped your head from him to Ink again. You managed to break free of Fresh's hold, going to stand a few inches away from Ink. Error tensed, eyelights shooting to you, but you went no further.

“I want to believe you, but I find that hard to believe. There has to be a stipulation,” you said, your voice wavering.

“once sans gets this machine fixed, I think the version of myself here could be of some help,” Ink said.

He took a vial from his bandoleer and handed it to you. You took it carefully, looking at him before looking down at it. There was a myriad of paints in there, swirling together and creating more colors as they moved within the small container. You looked back up at him as he adjusted his paintbrush on his back.

“that is merely a sample of what i have. the other version of myself has some as well,” he said as he took his paintbrush from his back. “this stuff will help out in case something goes wrong. the magic within the vial will help pinpoint you to your original universe and send you there via your soul. once the first set is sent home, we can give it a test run. or well, you guys can.”

It was quiet as everyone took this information in. There was a way they could still see you. Touch you and dance with you. Sing with you. Hold you and sleep with you. And it all it took was a vial of magic paint and some weirdo outcode skeleton.

After what felt like an eternity, Ink's sockets lowered a little, his features twisting into pity as he looked behind you to the two behemoth skeletons.

“it's time to go home,” he told them softly.

You didn't waste a second as you scurried over and threw yourself into their open arms. Tears leaked from your eyes as you held onto them, your hands digging into the fabric of their hoodies as you cried. Their phalanges ran through your hair and you heard them whispering to you, but you couldn't make out anything they were saying over the noise of your sobs.

You didn't even get to have them that long. You didn't want them to go. You knew you sounded greedy, but you just didn't want them to go. How were you supposed to be okay with them just leaving after accepting you into their family like they did?

Zapfino pulled away first. The larger of the two leaned down, pressing his teeth to the crown of your head before walking back over to where Error was waiting. Zapfino looked around her for a moment before looking back down at you.

“Don't cry, sparks,” she whispered, wiping one of her thumbs under your eye. “I'll try and come through to see you soon. Just because we're leaving doesn't mean this is goodbye. And I won't let them keep me away from you.” She smiled, her teeth lifting higher in one corner. “You're a Queens, after all.”

You could only sniffle and nod as she leaned down, pressing her teeth against your cheek. The ceramic of her mask was cool against your heated face and you could only close your eyes as you took it in. When she pulled away, she kept your hand in hers as she backed up, heading for Ink and Error. There was a black stain on the floor where Ink had undoubtedly brushed the paint on.

“We'll see you soon, sparks,” she called softly.

“promise ya, poppet!” Fresh called as Error pulled him along and down the hole.

“we love ya!”

“We love you!”

The last two lines were at the same time and you scrambled for the black stain on the floor, the vial falling with a soft thud to the carpet as you cried out their names. You didn't get very far before the stain disappeared, seeming to evaporate into thin air. The boys were around you instantaneously, bringing you off the floor and into their arms as you sobbed.

The pain in your chest was unbearable, and you swore you could hear a faint crack as you cried out Zapfino's name one last time, collapsing into your boys' arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: I really don't want to do this.  
>  _*types furiously*_  
>  Author: ...aaaaaaand it's there. fuck.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again for giving this a shot! I hope you all have a wonderful morning/day/afternoon/night!
> 
> **< 3**


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